IN CONCERT
What: Five Acre Shaker Music Festival featuring Daniel Wesley, Said the Whale, Harlequin, the Matinee and more
Where: McLean Mill Historic Park, 5633 Smith Rd., Port Alberni
When: Friday through Sunday, Aug. 9-11
Tickets: $49 (Friday and Sunday) or $59 (Saturday) at fiveacre.tickit.ca; $119 for a weekend pass
Note: Free for children 12 and under
Organizers hope Port Alberni’s Five Acre Shaker Music Festival, which began in 2014 on a private, five-acre property in Beaver Creek, will come into its own during its fifth edition this weekend.
With more than 30 artists expected to perform on the grounds of 37-acre McLean Mill Historic Park, the Five Acre Shaker has become a very big deal in the Alberni Valley — good news for an area that recently lost one of its biggest annual events, the Thunder in the Valley drag race.
The multi-faceted event, which showcases everything from members of the Vancouver Island Pro Wrestling stable to touring bands such as Edmonton funksters Carter & the Capitals and Nanaimo comedian 5-10, is an ideal way of promoting the Alberni Valley as a concert and travel destination rather than a thoroughfare for touring artists, who often favour dates in nearby Tofino and Ucluelet.
Last year’s edition featured Swollen Members, WiL, Sirreal, Illvis Freshly, JP Maurice and others.
The festival drew 1,400 fans through the gates of McLean Mill in 2017, so the 2018 weekend crowd of 2,400 was considerably more than organizer Lance Goddard expected.
He is expecting 3,000 fans this weekend for sets by Daniel Wesley, Said the Whale, Harlequin, and the Matinee, among others, which would set a new attendance record for a festival that is on an upward trajectory.
The addition of Vancouver artist Wesley, who is headlining Friday night, was a coup for organizers. He is one of the most popular draws for Vancouver Island audiences and recently performed at Phillips Brewery with Jesse Roper.
“I can’t wait to hear Daniel Wesley at our festival,” Goddard said in a statement.
“The spirit of his music is amazing and I can’t wait for it to breathe life into the historic site. Our concertgoers are going to love it.”
The festival has partnered this year with Leave No Trace Canada, a national non-profit organization that promotes responsible outdoor recreation.
Many of the green incentives are designed to cut down on the amount of waste generated by attendees. The Five Acre Shaker will continue to raise funds in honour of Port Alberni musician Zakkaree Coss, who died in a road accident in 2014 and whose family runs the non-profit Zattzoo Project in his memory.
Organizers want the festival to eventually appeal to both music fans and outdoor recreation fans in equal numbers.
The festival is situated on a stunning property owned by the City of Port Alberni that is under the stewardship of the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.
If what is good for the festival is good for both the city of Port Alberni and the entire Alberni Valley, this could be the beginnings of a fruitful partnership.
