Squamish Constellation Festival 2019: Day 1

Hello from Squamish, BC! While Victoria is rocking out at Phillips Backyard Weekender, I and thousands of others took the scenic one hour drive from Vancouver to check out the first year of the Squamish Constellation Music Festival. This is the first year of the Squamish Constellation Festival, but the success of Day 1 bodes very well for the weekend and the future, with artists such as The Boom Booms, Fast Romantics, Dear Rouge and Serena Ryder kicking things off right!

When the words “Squamish”, “music”, and “festival” are together, most think of the Squamish Valley Music Festival, but where SVMF had expansive grounds and international artists, Constellation Festival has found a beautiful blend of location, artists, vendors and atmosphere. Two stages, one a smaller Creative BC stage and a larger main stage, all tucked into the foot of the mountains lends a festival getaway feel to the weekend. For you Victorians, think Rifflandia in a setting that doesn’t feel smaller, just more intimate. Amongst the festival goers in boho attire in the summer warmth, practically in the shadow of the Stawamus Chief, I couldn’t believe that I was just an hour away from my apartment in bustling downtown Vancouver.

The festival got off to a wonderful start Friday, with a turnout of around four thousand, but what really surprised me was the amount of kids and families that turned out. Victorians love to joke about Kidlandia, but this was like the Squamish Kidstellation Festival! This year, children 12 years or younger get in free with a full paying adult. No wonder there were tons of little ones running around When Serena Ryder took the main stage to wrap up day one; the entire front row of Serena Ryder was just 12 year old girls! Fortunately, festival organizers have made sure that everyone is welcome and entertained, and main sponsor Nude Vodka has brought not just their trendy vodka sodas, but activities for all ages. My day one highlight was Paintillio, a paint-by-numbers vendor with a massive paint-by-numbers canvas for everyone to paint! This huge collaborative piece will be offered all weekend, giving friends both big and small an opportunity to paint by numbers and create one large piece of art that will then be offered as a prize! Rifflandia, take note!

I was also excited to see that SCF was joining the movement towards ecological responsibility, with serious initiatives to become a zero-waste festival. With awesome and informative stations throughout the festival, a ban on plastic straws and single use bottles (there are lots of water fill stations), and the requirement that food trucks and vendors use compostable or fibre ware containers, they are absolutely nailing it! In all my festival years, this was the cleanest festival I have ever seen. Not a single cup or can littered the ground, and I didn’t see a single overflowing garbage can that has become the unfortunate symbol of weekend festivals. To be blunt, I was completely blown away. Thanks to the cooperation of hardworking staff and festival goers, Constellation Fest is feeling good and looking good too!

Day 1 certainly did not disappoint! The sweet and charming Sarah MacDougall started things off right, and Taylor James kept the crowd moving with some high-energy rock-n-roll. The Boom Booms had the whole crowd jumping and dancing with their Spanish tunes, playing their classic hits, as well as brand new songs! All in Spanish, they jokingly apologized. Around 6pm was when it really picked up, with people finally getting off work and racing up into the mountains to join the party. Fast Romantics wooed us and got us singing and set the tone for the main stage, while on the Creative BC stage, Daysormay (from Vernon, BC) had the whole crowd getting low and jumping as high as they could. Lead singer Aiden Andrews had the crowd crushing hard with his unreal lyrics, and electric energy on stage. But if Daysormay had the crowd crushing, Dear Rouge had the whole festival fall head over heels in love. Danielle McTaggart came out dancing in a gorgeous black and white coat, huge sun glasses, and was ready to rock as soon as she grabs that mic. Husband Drew rocking out right along side, and they never stop moving! Jumping and rolling on the floor, even jumping into the crowd to dance (and this is when I curse my shortness and can’t get those epic crowd shots), Dear Rouge knows how to throw a party. Did I mention the purple smoke bomb?

Friday headliner Serena Ryder was pure magic. Without warning, the stage lights strike, smoke fills the stage and crowd, and the first chords of “Stompa” chime. Serena appears from the smoke guitar in hand, and the crowd went wild, singing along as she and her band burst into “Stompa”. This woman knows how to capture an audience, and wasn’t afraid to play her slower songs, and to balance out with epic rock tunes. Just as she started playing, the skies opened and it started pouring rain. That didn’t stop this happy crowd from dancing hard and singing loud, though! Serena was an unreal way to end day one, setting the bar high for the rest of the weekend!

Visit our page each day for more recaps on both Phillips Backyard Weekender and Squamish Constellation Festival!