Squamish is about to get even prettier.
The second annual Squamish Mural Walk Festival will be painting the town in all the colours of the rainbow from June 24 to June 26.
According to Kerry Neil of the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association, 11 new murals will be added to the local collection.
The new murals will add to the many existing murals, which date back to 2000 and the Squanderer Mural Festival and the District of Squamish Public Art Committee.
Folks are invited to stop by the tents at Stan Clarke Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily on June 24, 25 and 26 to collect a printed map with the murals’ locations. They can then take a self-guided tour of them all.
“The Squamish Mural Walk is a great opportunity to experience the diversity, culture, history and heritage of Downtown Squamish all at your own pace and don’t forget to tag #squamishmuralwalk and #downtownsquamish on all your photos,” reads a news release from the business association.
“Art in its many forms has the power to energize public spaces, make us think, and transform the place we work, live, and play. The murals we are showcasing increase the liveability and artistic richness of downtown Squamish.”
The lineup of the 2022 mural artists will be announced in the coming days.
After the festival, maps will be available from several downtown businesses.
Neil thanked the sponsors and donors that made the festival possible.
For more information, go to squamishmuralwalk.com and follow @downtownsquamish on Instagram and Facebook.
Other events are planned during the festival, including live music, art, and family entertainment.
Open Street Day will take place on Cleveland Avenue on Saturday.
It will be a day of local shopping, with the businesses on Cleveland Avenue opening their doors and bringing their goods to the sidewalks.
Cleveland Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic from Pemberton to Victoria Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will be a full bike valet set up at Pemberton and Cleveland Avenue, so locals are encouraged to travel downtown by foot, bike, skateboard, or scooter.
“Open Street Day will celebrate the vibrancy of downtown Squamish, reclaiming Cleveland Avenue as a community-focused public space. Allowing local businesses to interact, engage, and re-imagine spaces usually reserved for vehicle traffic lets Squamish residents and visitors experience the neighbourhood differently,” the release states.
This event is organized by Downtown Squamish BIA and OurSquamish Placemaking Society and made possible with support from the District of Squamish and Tourism Squamish.
For more information about Open Street day, go to downtownsquamish.com.
