PEOPLE COULD PAINT a mural, enjoy live entertainment, ogle a demonstration of yoga at the pier or try paddleboard racing on a hot long weekend during the Sea Festival, a tradition in White Rock since the 1950s. We were sorry to have missed a flash mob wedding on one of those days.
The area was bustling as we drove along Marine Drive. Enticing food, vendors, artists and the sparkling Semiahmoo Bay were all out of reach, however. There was not a single parking space available so all we could do was snatch a few sights from the car window.
The Museum was offering free admission to the exhibit called Semiahmoo Bay and Beyond: The Hidden Secrets of White Rock Waters on Sunday. It sounded intriguing ... I always suspected those waters held secrets!
The doors were wide open and welcoming but most people were outside soaking in the sun.
The distant puddles forming at low tide created lovely patterns in the sand.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) chugged down the track alongside the parking lots with a very long string of boxcars carrying coal. Some locals and environmentalists are concerned about the regular transport of coal through the town. As this article from The Vancouver Observer states 13 protesters were arrested in May.
Meanwhile, bus loads of tourists were dropped off to explore the festival venues. Local shuttles also transported people from up the hill. I thought that would have been a wiser option until I later read that a shuttle collided with a small vehicle. Thankfully, no injures were life-threatening.
All we could do was wave goodbye and snap one final picture of what appeared to be a spontaneous art show. A click enlarges the photo to show that behind the art are condominiums and multiple homes dotting the hillside overlooking the ocean view of the little town that attracts people from all over the world.To enjoy sights from around the globe, link to Our World at the sidebar.
Copyright by Penelope PuddlismsSee scenes from BC at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.
It certainly is a place that has a part of my heart....along with the ocean.
ReplyDeleteBut it's the very hustle and bustle that we decided to leave. Sad that you couldn't get a parking spot, but you did incredibly well with just driving through.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
The festival looks like a lot of fun. I love the murals.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like such a perfect festival for summer. I'm not surprised it is well attended.
ReplyDeleteWhat photos and what a beautiful place ~ Wow! (A Creative Harbor)
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like so much fun! I agree with EG, I'm not surprised it's so well attended either! I love festivals like this and they are the perfect summer fun! Thanks for sharing the fun with us as well!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful festival! It sounds this is the best way to spend one pleasant summer day here.
ReplyDeleteFrom your photos, I suppose in this area the air is dry. Under a summer sun, people look comfortable, and everything is so vivid and colorful! Here is my ideal summer.
I want to join the mural painting!
Have a wonderful week!
keiko
What a delightful post about the fun festival, nice weather, and lovely place! The residential area on the hillside overlooking the ocean is my ideal place to live. Usually I’d like to avoid a crowd, but when it comes to a festival, crowd is part of fun. Sorry about the no parking space for you, but you seem to have enjoyed as much as possible by taking pictures. I especially like the 5th and the last image.
ReplyDeleteIt looks a great place to spend the day. What a nightmare to park though.
ReplyDeleteOh Penelope, I have some catching up to do, but will just leave this comment for now. I've just solved (I hope) my storage problem after way too much time invested. Thank you again for all the input. It was Fred the Dog's suggestion that worked the most easily, so hopefully, that will get me through the next 3 months.
ReplyDeleteYou caught the spirit of White Rock's Sea Festival so beautifully, without ever (I believe) stepping from your car. So much colour, energy and joy but I think we may be on a similar wavelength in sometimes wanting to keep our treasures for ourselves. The other day, people were lined up, body to body, along Sunset Beach. I realized I was feeing a bit negative and selfish in wishing I could have the beach back to myself as i so often do. I guess that's the trade-off. In peak season, "they" will come and we must endure :) Not that there was any spirit of negativity in your post. Even with nary a parking space to be had, you managed to convey your usual, wonderful positivity.
I can't even remember the last time I was home for Sea Festival. I can certainly remember the first one I participated in, however.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your photos!
I still love the train, but coal cars are not my favourite. My very favourite thing on the beach there would be the tidal pools, with their warm, warm water. Somewhere there is a photo of me my first time at the beach. I'd have been 17 months old, and I swear my arms were fatter than my dad's at the time. LOL
Luv, K
Oh, looks lovely, and really gets the flavour of it. I hope you made a return trip on the bus. Buses can be a pain but they have their advantages when parking is tight...
ReplyDelete