Arts & Culture

Each May over 300 secondary school students and their teachers are billeted in the Summerland area to be immersed in the rich learning and sharing experience of the four-day Good Will Shakespeare Festival.  We are also the temporary home to a pool of internationally acclaimed artists and world class performers who take part in this amazing event.

Summerlanders who love bluegrass celebrate the genre each June with a lively and family-friendly Bluegrass Festival.  Come visit the Summerland Rodeo Grounds where the event is held and enjoy the sounds of country and blues.

Come see wonderful works of art, handmade jewellery and inspiring sculptures on the Summerland Art Walk.  While many of our restaurants, cafes and bistros act as impromptu galleries year round, the Summerland Art Walk connects our artistic community and those who appreciate it in a unique way.  Come get a map from our Visitors’ Centre and enjoy.

Intellectually stimulating conversation abounds at the Philosopher’s Café. The Summerland Arts Council hosts these fun and stimulating evenings sure to entertain and inform.  Grab a chocolate chip cookie, sit back or wade in and appreciate a fun and engaging evening.

The Arts Centre and Gallery hosts six gallery openings each year and features inspirational local and regional mixed-media artists in diverse exhibitions.

The Gallery is also home to a wide range of classes for children and adults, including the after school and summer art programs, and the popular street banner project.

Centre Stage is a state of the art community/school theatre and the venue for a wide-range of excellent local and national performances, including the Summerland Good Will Shakespeare Festival.  As well as showcasing high school productions, the theatre is widely used for community meetings and forums.

From the Mikado to The Nerd, The Summerland Singers and Players have represented Summerland community theatre for over a hundred years.  As you are shopping or sipping coffee in downtown Summerland there’s a chance that you may see and hear the troupe as they stroll by in period costume singing old-time favorites.