Saturday, August 18th. 3pm @ Gage Park / 1030 @Absinthe – $Free
This Midsummer Night’s Dream festival has the potential to be the event of the summer. It has all the makings of an amazing all day summer party.
If the Facebook event page is anything to go by, this is one exciting party, with over 1000 confirmed guests and many many thousands pending. CBC Hamilton has also hyped this event.
I sat down with event organizer, Mark Gowland, to find out more about this intriguing event. Mark, as it turns out, is a genuine force of enthusiasm and positivity. Seriously. I walked away from our conversation feeling like I could accomplish anything!
Inspired by the Indian Holi Festival of Colours and the Full Moon Parties of Thailand, this event is set up as a peace festival that will begin at Gage Park at 3pm. Attendees are encouraged to gather around the band shell at the park. This is an alcohol-free event – you are encouraged to bring water if the weather is hot. Bottled water will be sold at the event.
The event is centered around the throwing of Holi, Indian colourful powdered dye. There are spiritual and cultural meanings – but basically it is to spread good will, peace, and joy! Mark believes that the world can be a dark place and he is using this event to spread some joy and positivity.
The first ‘throwing of the Holi’ will be at 3:30pm and depending on the amount of people at the event it will continue throughout the evening. This event will also include the making of a giant peace symbol out of glow sticks, body painting, speeches, and and live musical performances by: Hachey the Mouthpiece, Vincent Tompa’s Rhythm Church, Live How You Live, David Cucuz, and Social Animals.
The park portion of the festivities will wrap around 10pm and shortly after that a free shuttle bus will take festival goers to Absinthe nightclub. The event continues at Absinthe with the official after party featuring DJs and black lights to show off your glow in the dark body paint.
Everyone is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the Neighbour to Neighbour Foodbank. A portion of the event proceeds will also go to the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre. This event is free – but you will be encouraged to purchase Holi coloured powder: 2 packs $5, Glowsticks: $2, and Glow-in-the-dark body paint: $5/dixie cup.
Mark is looking for volunteers for this event – if you are interested please email: purecreationinstitute@gmail.
