Hope’s Memorial Park is about to have a busy summer living up to its name by using entertainment to bring people together to make fun memories that will last a lifetime, as July kicks-off both the beginning of the Concerts in the Park and Story Time in the Park series.
Starting the day after Canada Day, and running every Tuesday from 11 a.m. til 12 p.m., through the months of July and August, Story Time in the Park brings the wonders of literature to the hearts and minds of the community’s children.
“This is just a really great way to help kids fall in love with reading at an early age,” said Heather Stewin, the program’s founder.
In addition to an outing to the park, those who attend the event can participate in games, music, and everyone is provided with a free snack and copy of the book being read that day.
READ MORE: Swampwater in concert Saturday
When she started the program in 2003, Stewin says she was just hoping “something would happen” that would help children engage better with books, but was keeping her expectations realistic.
“It took a while, but by the end of the summer—it was the neatest thing—on the first day there were only 67 people. And by the end of the summer we had 450 people in the park reading Robert Munsch books and eating pie and ice cream.
“It was the most amazing feeling,” continued Stewin, who’s both a District of Hope Counsellor, and Fraser-Cascade School District Trustee.
However, for those with a later bedtime, the Hope Arts Council is presenting its Concerts in the Park series, which starts tomorrow (July 5).
Then, every Friday evening in July and August from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m., Memorial Park will be the stage for an eclectic assortment of free, live music performances meant to start summer weekends with a positive vibe.
The musical summer series begins with a performance from local rockers who’ve been setting toes tapping and hips swinging in the Fraser Valley for the better part of the last decade: Swampwater. A classic cover band, the crew is comprises Hope locals Kieth Campbell, Ken Hillstrom, Warren Taylor, Kelly Stack, and Barry Stewart.
For a listing of concerts, visit HopeDistrictArtsCouncil.com/concerts-in-the-park.
