Day 2 of Filberg Festival 2022 had something for everyone

By Keith and Heather Nicol

    After a great but hot day at the Filberg Festival on Friday, July 29 we decided to get there even earlier on Saturday.  There was a whole new lineup of musicians on 2 stages plus close to 140 artisans showing their varied and unique wares.  On Friday,  July 29 Comox broke its daytime high temperature record and with the humidity it felt even hotter (37 C).  But if there is a site in the Comox Valley where you want to be in these warm conditions it was at the shady ocean front Filberg Park in Comox. Also check out Friday’s blog post for several tips on staying cool at the Festival. 

              The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer had the standing room only crowd and dancing in the aisles

 Although it might seem like the Festival is just for adults, the organizers have included lots of things for kids to do in a shady area called the Enchanted Forest. Here they have face painting, lots of games and crafts so don’t leave the little ones at home. Remember kids 12 and under are FREE! Another bonus of this festival is that you don’t need to lug around chairs like you do at many festivals. They have lots of seating and much of it is moveable so if you see empty seats in the sun you can pick them up and move them to a shady spot. And they have water stations around the park so you can stay hydrated in these hotter than normal conditions. 

                                 There is a special area for kids where they can get their faces painted and play games

We arrived just before 11:00 am with a plan to check out the various artisan stalls before listening to the music. We found some great gift items and then headed to the cool ocean front Garden Stage to hear folk singer Claire Coupland from Victoria at 12:30 pm.  After that we wanted to check out the larger Rotary Stage and enjoyed “Myles from Home” and liked his harmonica infused music. After checking out a few more artisans that we hadn’t seen yet we decided to head home and have an early supper before heading back to see the headliners on Saturday evening. 

                                You couldn't ask for a better setting overlooking the ocean and mountains at Filberg Park

We returned at 5:45 pm and headed for the Rotary Stage to hear Sue Medley and Friends. Sue is from Courtenay and we had seen her perform at the Vancouver Island MusicFest a couple of years ago. Next up was The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer from Vancouver which we were really looking forward to seeing. We had heard some of their music on You Tube before we went to the Filberg Festival and since we are fond of  the harmonica we figured they would do a high energy set. And they did not disappoint- they had the standing room only crowd up and dancing in the aisles. They are great, fun performers and you can’t help but move your feet to their music. 

               We loved the paintings of the Round Woman Studio- many reminded us of the folk art of the East Coast

And there is lots more music to be played at the Filberg Festival . You still have Sunday, July 31to come and check it out. Also it is a great place to get that unique or special gift. With so many varied exhibitors there is something for just about everyone. And Remember the Filberg Festival is a valuable fundraiser for the Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park in Comox, B.C. For more information on the complete festival schedule see: filbergfestival.com  See you there tomorrow.