The Wild At Art Festival kicks off today (Friday, March 14) at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park at 7 p.m. and from there, it's 10 head-spinning days of music, art, food - you name it, they've got it. Here's a preview of some of the performers, new events (and some staples, too), and hidden treasures that help make this year's festival such a unique local treat.First of all, don't exhaust yourself on the first night: you'll need some energy for the SAM2 workshop on Saturday (March 15) at2 p.m. at the B.C. Museum of Mining. SAM2 is a performance group that plays recycled-materials instruments in a lively, energetic show that defies categorization. "The setting is amazing and they're adding an incredible light show - it's really going to be quite something," said Carolyn Grass, the festival's co-coordinator. The free workshop teaches participants how to create and play instruments made from scrap metal. See if they actually know their stuff when they perform at the mining museum at 7 p.m. But dress warm- the venue is not heated. Tickets for the performance are $15 or $20. Monday, March 17 tap into your red, Irish roots (we all have them) with Wild For Irish, a freeSt. Paddy's Day event at Gelato Carina. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. local fave Jocelyn Pettit and The Jocelyn Band will play Celtic music. "It's so fun playing on St. Patrick's Day- it's always decorated and I see so many people I know," Pettit said. This is Pettit's fourth year playing the festival. New to Wild At Art is a two-day celebration of food called, appropriately enough, Wild For Food. For $15, each evening includes live jazz, prizes and a demonstration from a local culinary king. Monday (March 17) Whistler chef Eric Vernice focuses on using local ingredients. Tuesday (March 18) Squamish's own Pablo Espinosa of Cafe Maya will offer a demo on Mexican food. "I'm super-looking forward to it!" Espinosa said. "I want to show people they can make the things I make in my restaurant and it's so simple. We're going to have a lot of fun!" The fiestas begin at 7 p.m.Also on Tuesday, local theatre troupe Between Shifts begins three nights of performances at the Eagle Eye Community Centre at 7:30 p.m. "We're proud and excited to be part of this year's Wild At Art Festival," said artistic director Kathy Daniels, adding that with three plays, there's something for everyone. It's all part of Actors Gone Wild. Tickets are $10.Check out Culture Gone Wild on Friday (March 21) at Totem Hall. The event features Delhi to Dublin, a genre-busting band that melds fiddle, sitar, and DJ elements. "We're stoked to be bringing our unique mix of east and west to the festival," said Tarun Nayar, the band's tabla and electronics go-to. "We're really looking forward to reaching out to a group of people we haven't played for before, and playing some great party music for them." Tickets are $35. FootEdge Dance Company and DJ T-Spoon are also on the bill. Get Wild In The Streets at an outdoor music event on Saturday, March 22.Starting at noon on Cleveland Avenue, the free event features too many artists to list, but Vancouver blues rocker Rich Hope is one worth watching. "I love playing venues like this," Hope said. "It's a different avenue for people to see you. Not everyone likes going to bars." This is Hope's first appearance at Wild At Art, though he and his drummer, Adrian Mack, have played 樱桃视频before. "We're excited to be playing here again, even if it is outside in March. But we're prepared - we'll play in our toques and pea coats if we have to."Some events will be a daily occurrence at the festival. The Adventure Gallery at the Adventure Centre displays works from local artists, including last year's special guest, Michael Tucker. It's free and goes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. And Joel Pettit has organized a free music event that will be happening all day, every day on the festival's community stages. Pettit has put together 120 performers, 70 performances and 75 hours of entertainment.And the West Coast Railway Heritage Park will hold heaps of workshops. There's a drum circle for the big kids on Saturday (March 15) at 1 p.m., a craft workshop for the little kids on St. Patrick's Day called Everything's Green, and for everyone in between there's Bead It, where participants can make anything their artsy little heart fancies with beads provided by the festival.
