Our 30th Annual Spring Festival: April 25-27, 2008

In Castlegar in 1978, members of the Society for Self Awareness, at their weekly meditation decided to hold a Festival of Workshops on the Spring Equinox Weekend. For six years this weekend became a marvelous Kootenay Event drawing people from all over to join in a celebration of life, love, peace and awareness. The Spirit of the Festival was sensed by many people as an Angel or a Deva, who "overlighted" this wonderful event. The work was all done by people happily volunteering their energy, ( Sid Tayal, and Harry and Nora Jukes among them), workshop leaders graciously giving their time and Selkirk College co-sponsoring the event generously donating the use of their facilities.

In this same spirit of cooperation, in 1984, the healing group in Nelson sponsored the 7th festival at the former Notre Dame University site. Peter and Bonnie Williams, Phyllis Furumoto, Michael Hartley, and a host of many others, took up the challenge. In 1985 the 8th festival moved to the Okanagan where it was coordinated in Vernon for three years by Norbert Maertens and the Halos Society. The fourth year it didn't happen and Peter Morris who had been an instructor at the previous year's event wondered why. He asked Angele, organizer of the Penticton Metaphysical Society to find out. When she called the Vernon office they said that for various reasons the Festival energies would lie fallow for a year. Peter convinced Angele that the two of them could put it on. At each meeting she asked for help and slowly people came forward. First Urmi Sheldon and Laurel Burnham, then Dave Cursons, Judy Byer and Marion Walters... and the Spirit of the Festival of Awareness found its home at Naramata Centre, the perfect venue.

The second year the festival was held at Naramata it was on the April 1st weekend. The Jester appeared and the rainbow banners were unfurled as the clocks moved forward one hour.

The Spring Festival continues to bloom each year, providing the opportunity for hundred of folks to experience the magic and wonder of the New Age and the rising awareness of human kind.