After Victoria's first ArtisTREE festival in 2024 drew nearly 20,000 people, far surpassing expectations, a second helping of juried art, entertainment and full-on whimsy returns to the Government House grounds July 26-27.
"I just about passed out on the Saturday morning as the gates opened," said Cory Judge, co-creator and project manager, recalling last year's opening day.
Though Judge is co-founder of the Market Collective, it was her first time organizing an event of that scale. Over 17,000 people showed up to see more than 130 artisans, far exceeding her expectations. "It was a huge success," she said.
Judge likens ArtisTREE to the Filbert Festival: it's juried, emphasizing excellence in craft, and offers a "fantastic shopping experience", interactive workshops, Indigenous makers, live music at the bandshell, and a space where creativity flourishes.
"Then we have live installations of art, performance art and live painters scattered throughout the grounds to give the sense of the magical, mystical whimsy of art," Judge added.
The music lineup was announced at the end of June, and Judge explained that the programming expands this year. "It's a real diverse collection," she said.
Nichola Walkden, the music programmer, said when creating the program, she asked herself: "How much fun can we have? And then, how can we make it even more fun?"
It features everything from children’s music and Celtic reels to Afro-Latin fusion by crowd favourite TK The Artist and Indigenous hip hop from PINDN. Dance takes centre stage as Red Hot Swing hosts a public swing lesson, the UVic Salsa Club leads a lively Rueda, and The Slieves bring a full-on square dance to the field.
Also performing are Miguelito Valdes Trio, Mister Mojo, Capital City Syncopators, Bopoma, Nostic, and more.
An open marimba jam and Dance Temple’s freeform Ecstatic Dance round out the schedule, reinforcing ArtisTREE’s focus on community, connection, and the joy of shared creativity.
“Some of the most joyful moments come when we blur the line between performer and audience,” Walkden said.
The full music schedule and artist bios can be found at artistreefestival.com/music-schedule-lineup.
The festival runs Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, though donations are encouraged as they go towards the non-profit organization running the festival and to Friends of the Government House Garden Society, a group of about 400 volunteers that look after the gardens throughout the year.
