Hapa Family Day in the Park
Saturday, September 23rd, Granville Island Picnic Pavilion (1:00pm-4:00pm)
Koru "Geek'alas" (Little Chief)
WELCOME
Koru is part Squamish, Snuneymuxw, and Kwakwak'kaw First Nations as well as Maori. He is in grade 6 attending Wescot Elementary in West Vancouver. He is a young leader and practices his traditional longhouse culture as a speaker at various ceremonies in the Community. Koru established his own Youtube channel at age 7 and interviewed perspective candidates running for Chiefs and Council for the Squamish Nation in 2013. Since then, he has interviewed other important personalities and celebrities including Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, The Honorable Jody Wilson-Raybould, actor Tom Jackson, and many others. Koru is an avid lacrosse player, writes music and will be releasing his first rap single in the Winter of 2017.
Desiree Dawson
Music
We are so proud to be featuring live music by Desirée Dawson this year! Desirée hails from Vancouver, British Columbia. You might know her as the warm hearted and humble girl who won CBC's Searchlight Competition, as well as rocking stages with her ukulele all around the world. Asides from her soulful ukulele numbers, Desirée has had chart topping singles in the current dance music scene. Her single “Hide” Won her the title of CBC searchlight 2016 winner and is her first solo single on iTunes and Spotify.
Jay Peachy
Music and comedy
Multidisciplinary artist Jay Peachy will be present to perform Family Comedy and Music! Jay is an award winning artist and was a semi finalist in a public stamp design competition for Canada Post. In 2009 he and Katherine Krampol created Sound Therapy Radio, and Arts and Mental Health Radio Show broadcasting on CJSF 90.1 FM. It has since won multiple National Radio Awards and recognized within the community. Peachy also founded the Canadian Sound Therapy Arts Society and has expanded arts programming to local community television on Shaw Cable 4 Vancouver.
Kaya Kurtz
MUSIC
Kaya is a vocalist based in Vancouver, BC. Currently, she is attending Capilano University as a vocal jazz major and is working towards her degree. She draws influences from artists such as Lake Street Dive, Nina Simone, Rebecca Sugar, and David Byrne. Soul, jazz, and indie/alt pop make up the majority of Kaya’s repertoire. Kaya plays with a variety of groups, ranging from duos to full band configurations.
Jocelyn Pettit
MUSIC
Hailing from the West Coast of British Columbia, Jocelyn is a vibrant fiddle player, stepdancer, singer and composer.
With grace and passion, Jocelyn delivers an engaging and uplifting performance of original and traditional music inspired from the Canadian and Celtic cultures of - Cape Breton, Québec, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany (FRA), and Galicia (ESP). When not performing, Jocelyn enjoys composing and arranging dynamic and expressive new music from her home studio in the Coastal Mountains, and teaching fiddle lessons and workshops.
Michael Ouchi
BALLOON ART
Michael Ouchi is a published author of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of Michael Ouchi include Extreme Balloon Tying: More Than 40 Over-the-Top Projects, The Ultimate Balloon Book & Kit.
Melanie Dawn
FACE PAINTING
Melanie Dawn is a professional makeup artist specializing in body art and fantasy makeup for public, private and corporate events. A fine arts graduate, Melanie's work stands out from the crowd and has become uniquely recognizable throughout Metro Vancouver. Melanie's extensive client list includes Electronic Arts, ToysRUs, Cirque Du Soleil, IKEA and LIT Cosmetics, and is a member of the Canadian Association of Face and Body Artists and the Vancouver chapter of the Canadian Body Paint League. Melanie counts Irish, Burmese and Welsh in her heritage. (website).
Jasmine Cambon
HENNA ART
Jasmine Cambon is a designer, illustrator, and painter from Vancouver, British Columbia. She is currently attending Emily Carr University of Art + Design for Communication Design.
Jasmine was the recipient of the VSB District Scholarship Fine Arts Award, the Emily Carr University Visual Arts Scholarship, and the Project 31 Drawing & Painting Scholarship among others.