What's Happening: Cultural Services In Delta

July - September 2024

We can't believe that summer is finally here! Cultural Services staff have been busy planning a great summer full of activities for all ages. There is truly a little something for everyone this summer – camps for the kids, free family events such as the Boundary Bay Airshow, Ladner Village Market, Concerts in the Park, Heritage Walks, and Elliott Street Wharf.

You can find the most up to date information on Delta’s Cultural Services programs and events at Delta.ca/CulturalServices.

Upcoming Events & Programs

Summer Camps

Almost all full day Cultural Services summer camps are full. New camp ideas have been a hit. Thanks for liking them! There is still room in some of them, but spots are going fast. There are also weekly piano, guitar and dance lessons as well as half day camps.

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Concerts in the Park

A well-loved summer event, Concerts in the Park is back this July and August with some oldies, but goodies and some new faces. Concerts are throughout Delta – Tsawwassen, Ladner and North Delta. We’ve added a couple new locations. Let us know what you think. Bring your chair, a picnic and maybe a blanket and listen to some great music.

Concerts are 1 hour. Afternoon concerts start at 2pm and evening concerts will begin at 7pm.

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Ladner Village Market

This market brings ‘Make it, Bake It, Grow it’ vendors, community organizations and 48 Avenue merchants together to create a community-enhancing event in Ladner Village. Featuring over 160 artisan vendors each day, the Ladner Village Market is one of Western Canada’s largest open-air markets. The market is spread over three blocks on 48 Avenue between Delta Street and Elliott Street on July 14 and 28, August 11 and 25 and September 8 from 10am-4pm. Entry is free.

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2024 Boundary Bay Airshow

On Saturday July 13, visit the Boundary Bay Airshow. Always a great show! Gates open at 11am and the Airshow is 12-3:30pm located at Boundary Bay Airport 7800 Alpha Way, Delta. FREE Admission. Featuring Northern Stars Aeroteam, Undaunted, Vicky Benzing, Brad Wursten, Kyle Fowler, Family Zone, Mike Tryggvason and the Erickson Aircraft Collection. There will also be static displays, autograph tent, food trucks and community booths. Bring your own chairs. Sorry, no pets allowed. On-site parking $25 or free off-site paring and shuttle from two locations starting at 9:45am.

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Elliott Street Wharf

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from July 5-August 25, join Cultural Services staff at Elliott Street Wharf for free activities.

Friday Night Lights 7pm will alternate between live music and Open Stage.

Saturday Family Art & Movement from 10am-12pm.

Sunday Heritage Corner 10-12pm.

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Heritage Walk

Experience Delta’s rich cultural heritage by getting outside this summer with three great walks!

Ladner Heritage Walk July 21 & August 18; 11am-12:30pm; meet at 4953 Chisholm St. Ladner at corner across from Sharkey’s at the commemorative plaque.

Boundary Bay Cemetery Walks July 24 & August 28; 6:30-8pm; meet at 856 56 St. Delta

North 40 Park Reserve Heritage Walk July 28 & August 25; 11am-12:30pm; meet at Churchill St. Delta

Luminary Festival - September 7

Celebrate the final days of summer at the Luminary Festival, Delta’s most sparkling event of the season! Illuminate yourself with costume and lights and make a lantern to light the way. Enjoy luminary displays, musicians and street performers, food vendors, interactive activities and a performance by The Exchange on the main stage to close out the night.

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Discovery Centre Open House - September 21

Join us at the annual Discovery Centre Open House. Activities will include artists talks, gallery tours, light refreshments, music and heritage games. But don‘t wait until September 21 to visit – Discovery Centre is open 7 days / week.

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Fall Music Series - PWR UP, September 21

For those about to rock – get ready to be Thunderstuck with PWRUP, the ultimate ACDC tribute band. Get ready for an electrifying night of music at the North Delta Centre for the Arts. PWRUP is a Canadian tribute act dedicated to embodying the rock n’ roll prowess of AC/DC. Since 2019, the group’s curation of an authentic live music performance has transported their fans to AC/DC’s live sound of the 70s and 80s. PWRUP caters to AC/DC fans by providing a variety of the band’s earliest to most recent hits.

Doors open at 6:30. Bar service and concession available. Show begins at 7:30

Tickets

Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre Updates

Discovery Centre is open 7 days / week and admission is always free. Be sure to check out the sand table and water table – definite must sees for everyone who visits.

New programs to check out this summer include:

Delta’s Story Time weeklong Camp running once in July and again in August. Each day participants will tell one of Delta's many interesting and insightful stories and learn a new medium like interactive story telling, exhibit curation, art, theatre and writing to tell a story about one of Delta's historical figures or events.
Family Friendly Saturdays- from 2-4pm every Saturday this summer visit the Discovery Centre for family friendly activities such as collaging, stamp making, interactive story and craft, Quilting square and more
Thursday After Hours – every Thursday from 6:30-8pm visit Discovery Centre activities aimed at those 18yrs + which include trivia night, game night, DIY projects and a presentation on Ladner’s Lost Chinatown
Youth Led Gallery Tours - Learn about Delta's history and explore the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre through a 20 minute guided tour led by a local Delta youth tour guide.

Staff Updates: Meet Delta’s New Curator!

Jasmine Moore is the new curator at the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre. She grew up in North Delta and has lived in the community for most of her life. She has a degree in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia with a focus on Museum studies and Archaeology. She participated in the Cultural Resource Management program through the University of Victoria.

She brings over 14 years of experience to this role, working in both municipal museums and nonprofits. In addition to museums, she also an extensive background in the hospitality industry and has worked a variety of restaurants. Please come by the Discovery Centre to say hello!

Youth Led Tours

Do you enjoy history? Are you looking for volunteers hours to graduate? If that’s you and you’re between the ages of 13-18, become a Discovery Centre gallery tour guide for the summer. To apply email kkloosterman@delta.ca.

Archives Update

The last couple months have been busy as usual, with much work being accomplished towards making collections available that illustrate the history of North Delta. The history of this area has long been underrepresented in the collection and so it is great to see this slowly but surely being rectified.

Work was recently completed on the photo collection for the Christiansen family, a Norwegian farming and fishing family in Annieville. These photos were donated to us in 2008 and they are finally out of the backlog and properly described and scanned for public access. After this, work was completed on the Larson family’s collection of photos. The Larson’s were residents of Strawberry Hill next to what is today Crossroads United Church on Scott Road (land Charles Larson’s father-in-law Robert Brydon donated for the original St. John’s Presbyterian Church). Photos of the church and the family’s life here are part of this collection.

Work has also been completed on a wonderful album of photos and other material documenting the construction of the Alex Fraser Bridge in the mid-1980s, showing its steady progress towards completion. It’s interesting to see the parallels between it and the current project at the Patullo Bridge. Thanks go to Norm Eyford of Delta Heritage Society for getting us in touch with the donor to make this happen. Once again, these can be checked out on the Archives database!