Photo: Photo/Kenneth Wong Bass Coast returned to Merritt for 12th year in a row July 11 to 14, bringing in 6,500 people. Every year, thousands of artists, festival goers, volunteers, vendors, and more flock to the Nicola Valley to attend Bass Coast. In addition to bringing in thousands of people, according to Bass Coast marketing manager Zan Comerford, Bass Coast generates $4 million to Merritt's economy.
The festival started back in 2009 in Squamish, B.C. drawing in 450 people.
After four years in Squamish, Bass Coast's attendees had outgrown the site that the festival was hosted on. "We were looking all over B.C.
for the perfect property, which is quite a challenge to find. And we're just very fortunate that this festival site had actually been here and unused for a few years,” said Bass Coast co-founder and music director Andrea Graham. "When we came here, we just thought it was in the perfect location, the grounds are just stunning, the river is beautiful,” said Graham.
"It was all of the things we were looking for and the town was very open and welcoming to us and they have continued to be right from day one in Merritt.” For Graham, her favourite part of the Nicola Valley is the people and the landscape. "It's been such a pleasure getting to know the different community members,” said Graham.
"I think I've always been surprised that for such a small town, there's so many creative people here, it looks like an industry town, but the core of it, there's a really beautiful creative community,” said Graham. "There are so many art galleries that focus on local artists, a lot of the businesses started here, nurtured from here and so I think it's a community and they've been very welcoming to us and that would be my number one thing.” "And I love seeing some of the people that work in more industry related roles in the community come to the tour, discover how their skill set can be utilized in a creative way and it's really fun to see more community members getting involved all the time,” Graham added.
Co-founder and art director Liz Thompson echoed Graham's sentiments on Merritt. "It's the people and when we go to council meetings, everyone walks up to us and says ‘welcome home,'” said Thompson. "That just summarizes the spirit of the people here and how inviting and welcoming that they are, and that's been just something that was there.
” "During the first year, it was like getting to know us and then instantly from the second year, it felt like we were at home,” added Thompson. As long as the community supports it, and artists and festival goers continue to travel across the world to the Nicola Valley, co-founders Graham and Thompson do not see an end to Bass Coast. "Bass Coast is our life plan, it's every part of our being,” said Graham.
"Liz is an artist, I am an artist, different mediums, but it's just the core of who we are, and it's an expression of us and now an expression of our team.” "We want to continue going as long as we possibly can, we have though, capped our attendance (at 6,500) each year because the community aspect of Bass Coast is really important,” said Graham. "We're not focusing on growing in numbers, but always growing artistically and in proving things every year and we just hope to be here for a long time.
” Photo: Photo/Kenneth Wong Photo: Photo/Kenneth Wong.
