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MINTY: Take a break, fire evacuees in Surrey, and check out the city’s Fusion Festival this weekend

Annual event brings Nelly Furtado and others to Holland Park on Saturday and Sunday
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File photo: Gord Goble Food, music and dancing are part of Surrey’s annual Fusion Festival, which returns to Holland Park on Saturday and Sunday (July 22-23).

How is your summer so far? Yes, sunshine and more sunshine. And while we are certainly blessed to have the sun, it is difficult to ignore the more than 37,000 people evacuated from the wildfires raging across our province. Now some of these people fleeing from fires are camping out at Cloverdale Arena. This is not summer holiday camping. It is not recreational. It’s stressful, but safer than their homes.

Oh right, this space of the newspaper is supposed to be dedicated to the arts. So here is a dedication: to all the brave families seeking shelter in Surrey, and also to the City of Surrey’s production, Fusion Festival.

The 10th year of this huge cultural festival is still in Holland Park and is packed with music, dance, food and faces, and is absolutely amazing. And wouldn’t it be a wonderful idea to somehow transport people from their temporary quarters at Cloverdale Arena out to the Fusion Festival this weekend (July 22 and 23, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.). It might be just what these folks need right now – a little culture, entertainment and fun. Can someone arrange for this to happen? It was just an idea, but I like it. Show what Surrey is made of.

Surrey’s Fusion Festival started out pretty small, but sure has grown. The international flavour is found from Asia, Central America, Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and South America. Entertainers include Nelly Furtado, Ache Brasil, The Zolas, Blink Acro, Karen Falmenco and the Rheinlander Band. Oh, and so much more! You can look up more particulars online, but just be sure you get the B.C. version of Surrey Fusion Festival, and not Surrey UK. Indeed. Fusion festivals are very popular worldwide. If my opinion counts, I say Surrey B.C. has the best Fusion Festival in the world. Be proud, and participate.

CLICK HERE to see the Fusion Festival schedule.

Holland Park is right on King George Boulevard, next door to Central City Shopping Centre. That shopping centre used to be called Surrey Place, and Holland Park was originally the Holland Farm. There were pigs and fruit trees, and the farmhouse was fenced. The park was mostly trees, and only became a city park, fully, when the last of the Holland family died. The farmhouse was taken down, the eroding hillside shored up, more green space was created, and this park is where the Fusion Fest happens. Expect major traffic jams to happen around the site this weekend.

I just thought you’d like to know a bit of the history behind Holland Park. Most of Surrey was once farmland – the part that wasn’t covered by dense forest. The City of Surrey has preserved some of the early history of Surrey farming with the Historic Stewart Farm. This farm, located at 13723 Crescent Rd., is more than just a museum that tells the history of the Stewarts, an early Surrey pioneer family that lived on the site from 1880 to 1944. Take a complete tour of the farm online at surrey.ca/stewartfarm.

Even better, take a trip out to the farm for events, like the Amazing Farm Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free event could be fun as well as educational. Bring a team of friends or family and join in this race around the farm. From skill-testing questions to pioneer chores, see if you can beat last year’s record holders. There’s prizes and bragging rights to be won! Be sure to check-in at the welcome table by 2 p.m. to ensure your spot. Call 604-592-6956 for more information.

And there it is, there really were Hollands farming in Surrey, and there really were Stewarts. Now there are the rest of us. Are we, the new pioneers, building a better Surrey? Remember our past, including the First Nations, while we build our future with a cultural collation. It matters who was here first, just as it matters who is here now.

Just while we are on this heritage, history and cultural theme: Surrey Little Theatre is housed in a heritage building on 184th Street. At least some of the building is a designated heritage site. Over many decades, this original church building has been added to, upgraded and kept operating as a 76-seat theatre. It is certainly well-named.

It takes a goodly amount of cash to keep this heritage building operating and safe, never mind the cost of productions. There is always more room at Surrey Little Theatre for volunteers who would love to keep this part of Surrey’s history and heritage functioning.

The first play for next season (starting in September) is Wrong Turn at Lungfish, directed by Brad Williams. The play already has a cast of actors, but crew is still needed. Any skill can be used by the theatre, like front of house, concession, costumers, shoppers, technical, painting, organizing galas, cleaning, toting, advertising, or just being a person willing to give a hand to help out with almost anything. Want to be involved? Contact Tom Taylor, show producer, at tomt1132@gmail.com. We are not simply producing a play, we are making history. Think about it.

melminty@telus.net