A parade of light will be shone during one of the darkest days of the year in Port Moody next week.
Musician Joyelle Brandt and fitness instructor Melanie Montgomery, both PoMo residents, are organizing their first annual winter solstice festival at Rocky Point Park on Wednesday, Dec. 21 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Brandt said she attended many solstice events in Vancouver, when she was a resident there, and wanted to copy the idea in her new hometown.
"I didn't want to haul my four-year-old all the way out to Vancouver," she said, "so I thought, 'Why not have one here?'"
To date, the response has been overwhelming, she said, with a Facebook page full of positive comments about the upcoming festival.
In fact, Brandt and Montgomery are now asking attendees to bring food and non-alcoholic drinks to share with the crowd for a potluck dinner; business donations are being sought, too.
Besides the meal, there will be music, meditation, dance, crafts, a tree lighting and a lantern procession from the bandshell to the pier.
Participants can bring their own lantern or make one this Sunday at the Coquitlam Farmers' Market, which is being held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Port Moody rec complex (300 Ioco Dr.).
The winter solstice festival is sponsored by Kushala Yoga, A3 Creative Solutions and the Coquitlam Farmers' Market. For more information or to volunteer, call 778-888-1395 or email [email protected].
