Starbelly Jam is a child-friendly festival for the entire family, with many fun activities for kids, and plenty of knee-high entertainment.
Our covered craft free-for-all zone is fully stocked with a wide assortment of do-dads and crazy odds and ends that are just begging to be transformed into festive hats and other wearable decorations.
Magic abounds around the grounds, with jugglers juggling and all sorts of clowning around. Our Starbelly Parade is always a big hit with kids, both young and old, as the procession dances around the grounds to its own music, singing and laughing.
Starbelly Jam is held in the Crawford Bay Park, so we have swings, slides, teeter-totters and more, for the fun and enjoyment of our youngest guests. The park has lots of room so there’s plenty of space to toss balls or frisbees, or just to run around with abandon, and when the weather’s hot we have fancy sprinklers to play around and cool down with.
Children 12 and under get in free!
Kindermusik
Ellie Reynolds
Ellie Reynolds has been teaching the Kindermusik program for the last 4 years both on the East Shore and in Creston. Singing, dancing, and sharing music with young children and their grown ups has been a huge source of pleasure and pride. With a good background in vocal training and a passion for group singing and working with young children in various settings (including as a mother of three young children) Ellie has found a wonderful marriage in this program. She also facilitates the Baby Goose Program at Creston Public Library and works as the Coordinator for the local Early Childhood Alliance here on the East Shore. Join this session with your young children (6 and under) and prepare to shake, roll, dance, sing and jam!
Norman Foote
Juno winner Norman Foote is a unique performing artist from Vancouver who combines original songs, comedy and “props with an attitude” all to great effect.
Norman finds subject matter that engages his audience – both young and old. He puts his theatrical and comedic talents to use as he weaves stories and paints musical imagery.His performances have taken him throughout North America and many parts of the world,..” He has received Gold awards from the Parents’ Choice Foundation, Socan songwriter award as well as WCMA, and a Juno for his CD “Love My New Shirt.” Norman’s shows are innovative and imaginative to all ages.
In sync with Canada’s 150th Norman has added some new songs about places and people of this great country of ours.
“His melodies are rich and his sense of the absurd transcends age”. Edmonton Journal
“In a category all his own” L A Times
Mainstreams
Dave Quinn
Mainstreams is a Kimberley-based non-profit society focussing on watershed and climate change education for all ages. Dave Quinn is an outdoor educator, wilderness guide, wildlife biologist, and author/photographer based in Kimberley. He has been helping design and deliver Mainstreams programs for the past five years a cross the Canadian Columbia Basin, and is addicted to Starbelly Jam.
Stay cool in the Starbelly sun at the Mainstreams Stream Trailer, an engaging hands-on water science education activity. A huge sandbox on wheels, complete with its own water reservoir, kids and parents work together to build their own creeks and rivers to better understand human impacts on our waterways, and how we can all work together to keep our water clean and healthy.
Dixie Star Storytelling
Innovative and inspiring, Dixie Star Storytelling fires the imagination of children and grown-ups alike with its innovative and interactive shows. The company evokes a fantastical world through words, music, and movement, and knows how to get the audience involved in creating the magic. Lisa brings the stories and dance, while Tim brings the music and song, and together they weave together a beautiful interactive show grounded in universal truths.
Dixie Stars will offer stories in their Rainbow tent, located in the cedars playground area at the festival. Stories are 30 minutes in length featuring an interactive story and some fun dance/yoga moves at the end. The stories are entitled: Amrita’s Tree, Princess Many Minds, Dragon Pearl, Mouse and Whale, Little Red Train, and Queen Monkey.
BC Boffer Battles
Jesse O’Leary
Boffers are foam weapons. Jesse uses the Boffers as tools to teach kids about self control, honour, honesty, good sportsmanship, respecting the boundaries of others and taking care of belongings. Jesse is a game designer and has created a hand full of different dynamic games that will entertain kids and adults for hours.
Magico
Angus MacDonald
Angus is an old style classical magician who does the old classical Cups and Balls routine in the classical style. It’s not seen very often anymore. Watch his hands closely while things appear, disappear, reappear, and in the end, completely vanish. Some call it simply magic or sleight-of-hand; Angus calls it experience.
Angus is a lovable, cranky, old gentleman who uses his thought-provoking humour and strange positive cynicism to stun his audience into complete silence.
This magic rountine should not be missed: a weird, wacky, wicked, and wonderful show includes top-hat manipulation, cigar box juggling, card magic, and story telling.