Street party highlights packed summer calendar in Powell River

On Friday, August 17, the most popular and well-attended event on Powell River’s already packed summer calendar kicks off. The annual Blackberry Festival Street Party takes over Marine Avenue from 6 to 10 pm, followed by Quality Foods Festival of Lights fireworks at Willingdon Beach at 10:10 pm.

The festival had its start in 1985 when a local committee organized a baking contest of recipes highlighting blackberries, an invasive species that grows rampantly throughout the region.

“It started with the blackberry wine contest and the blackberry cheesecake and just evolved out of that,” said Cathy MacDonald, president of the Marine Avenue Business Association, which hosts the street party.

Local restaurateurs and amateur cooks participated, and from it the Berry Best Cook Book was published. Lisa Marie Bhattacharya, then nine years old, won first prize in the juniors competition for her no-cook freezer jam.

“As well as being published in the cookbook, I remember Iwon a Robin Hood apron, baking mitts and chef’s hat,” said Bhattacharya.

Now a nutritionist, Bhattacharya said she still loves to create recipes with blackberries and attend the street party.

“It’s one of my favourite events of the year here,” she added. “I love all the food, music, little bits of chaos and everything blackberry.”  

Longtime Powell River resident Rod Innes also recalls the festivities from that first year and recently found a poster of the inaugural event. Along with food and wine, he remembers a watercolour painting contest using paint made from blackberry juice, truly utilizing the berry in every form.

Innes has not missed a festival since, particularly the street party, he added.

“It’s great; there’s half of Powell River down there,” he said. “You can’t really get from one end to the other because you just run into so many people you know.”

One aspect of the festival Innes said he particularly appreciates is the increasing multiculturalism he now sees in Powell River.

“There’s all kinds of different cultures here now,” he added. “Back in ’85, I don’t recall that kind of diversity; I just love it.”

Innes moved to Powell River in 1946 at the age of eight. Growing up across from Mowat Bay, he remembers his mother instructing he and his brother to pick blackberries before they were allowed to go to the Patricia Theatre for a movie.

“We had to each pick a huge potful of blackberries before we could go,” he said.

Now in its 33rd year, the festival is known throughout the province, said MacDonald.

“It’s the biggest event in Powell River for sure,” she said. “It attracts thousands for one night.”

Many former residents arrange their summer visit to the community to coincide with the street party.

“There’s always high school and family reunions and weddings revolving around Blackberry Festival,” said MacDonald. “People come home for it and people come from all over the province; it’s quite amazing.”

This year the street party will mark the beginning of a week’s worth of activities from August 17 to 26, including Arts Alive in the Park, Powell River Studio Tour and Blackberry High Tea.