Downtown merchants will lay out their best bargains and hidden treasures. Adding to the diversity that Market Day is famous for will be everything from hand-made soaps to fashions, jewellery, pet-accessories, baking, kitchen-wares, hand-made clothing, shoes, toys, baby things, home and garden furniture and accessories and so much more.

Everything is happening in the city core from 9 AM to 7 PM, with 5th Street closed to traffic between Cliffe Ave. and Fitzgerald Ave.  The Local Colours Festival main stage at the corner of England and 5th will showcase Backporch Banjo, Larry Ayre, the CYMC Musical Theatre, Original Restoration Jam Collective, Amy Cunningham, Things with Strings, Brodie Dawson, Fifth Bass and Luke Blu Guthrie, all MC’d by maestro Shayne Stuchbery.

Artists Tracy Kobus, Carey Anderson, Randy Frank, and Grace Wolff name just a few of the fourteen visual artists at work downtown, putting the finishing touches to their canvases and talking about art with onlookers. The Local Colours Festival begins Friday July 15th with the main events Saturday July 16th.

An added attraction during this year’s event is the Royal Canadian Legion Courtenay Branch’s unveiling of the murals honouring Canadian war veterans.  The Lieutenant Governor Steven Point will officiate, at the Jubilee Square beside the Sid Williams Theatre on Cliffe Ave.  The unveiling takes place at 11:00 am. Call 250-334-4322 for more information about the War Memorial.

All these diverse activities create a festival to touch, taste, see, hear, and go home with. Market Day runs from 9AM to 7 PM Saturday July 16th.  The Downtown Courtenay Market Day is sponsored by the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (BIA). For more information visit Market Day - Local Colours Festival!

Beginning the morning of “Christmas Magic” on November 27th, shoppers enjoyed 2 weeks to vote for their favourite decorated Christmas window displays in the Walk the Windows decorating contest in downtown Courtenay.

The windows with the most votes are:  1st place Cody & Company; 2nd place Secret Drawers; and 3rd place Winds of Change.

Michael Smale, Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (BIA) President drew from all the voting ballots received for recipient of the $1,000 shopping spree.  That lucky winner is Catherine O’Rourke, who voted for the Winds of Change window, and has until the end of December to make her selections.  Also drawn for a two night golf stay package at Crown Isle Resort was Maureen Coltman who voted for Graham’s Jewellers’ window.  Add these to the two winners of the previous weeks’ draw when Vicki Harry voted for Cherry Wine’s window and won a two night spa stay at the Kingfisher Resort, and Shannon Jones who’s vote for ‘be’ - Solely Canadian Clothing & Accessories’ won her a two night stay in an Ocean View Room at Crown Isle Resort’s Crown Mansion in Qualicum Beach.

“The best thing about the Walk the Windows campaign is all the businesses pulling together to create an event downtown for the whole community,” said Kim Stubblefield, Coordinator of the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (BIA) that sponsored the event with the Comox Valley Record. “The businesses downtown can be proud of the wonderful Christmas displays that add so much to the festive ambience.  We’ve had really positive response from the public about it.”

For more information about Downtown Courtenay events check the website at http://www.downtowncourtenay.com

* CV Cycling Most Innovative Entry - $500 gift cards from Ski Tak Hut

* CV Christian School Best School Entry - $500 cash sponsored by Comox Valley Dodge Jeep

* Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Best Theme Entry (Thank the World) - $1,500 gift cards from Comox Valley Businesses

* Coast Realty Group Best Commercial Entry - $5000 advertising from C V Echo and 97.3 FM The Eagle.

* Valley Dance Centre Best Entertaining Entry - $1,500 gift cards from Quality Foods

* CV Jr. Curling Club Honourable Mention - $500 gift cards from Comox Valley Businesses

* CV Orcas Swim Club Best Children’s Entry (12 & under) - $250 cash from McDonalds Restaurant and $250 gift cards from Comox Valley Book-stores

* Youth Unlimited Best Nativity Entry - $500 gift cards from ‘Beyond’ the Kitchen Door

* Habitat For Humanity Best Overall Float - $1,000 cash sponsored by Comox Valley Dodge Jeep

* School District # 71 Fine Arts The Three Mayor’s Choice - $500 gift cards from Comox Valley Businesses

* Pantuso Dance Best New Entry - $500 gift cards from Thrifty Foods

Watch the video here:  Comox Valley Christmas Parade 2010

Ballots are available at all of the 56 local stores that have set up window displays for the contest. The top three favourite windows, as voted by the public, will also win three “best-dressed” prizes. With as many festive themes in downtown windows as there are businesses, there is sure to be something that delights every eye.

Posters are in-store showing the suggested route for visiting all the shop windows. A good place to start is the Comox Valley Art Gallery on Duncan Ave. with its fun display of vintage Santa Clauses.

Walk the Windows is sponsored by the Comox Valley Record and the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (BIA).  For more information about Walk the Windows call the BIA Coordinator Kim Stubblefield at 250-337-2096 or visit the website at http://www.downtowncourtenay.com.

“After a presentation last year that showed what our downtown alleys could look like with some creative murals on them, the BIA Directors thought it was an idea well worth pursuing,” said Smale. “We know the Arts Council is working on a shoestring so we are sure that it will help this excellent project”. The CVC Arts Council is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports arts, culture and education in and around the Comox Valley, and is a member of the Downtown Courtenay BIA.

Local Artists Exhibit at the Comox Valley Airport

The Comox Valley Community Arts Council is pleased to announce a new selection of exciting, original art works at the Comox Valley Airport. After scrutinizing over the incredible work submitted to the call for entry, pieces by Marilyn Peeters, Barb Hutson, Cathy Korvan, Claude Dalley, Sarah Kerr and Martin Kaspers were selected for exhibition. We encourage anyone visiting the airport terminal to take some extra time to view these exceptional works.

The ComoxValley Community Arts Council and the Comox Valley Airport are extremely excited about the success of their partnership in providing this excellent opportunity to showcase local talents to a much wider audience. Submissions for the 2008 exhibition schedule were accepted from members of the Comox Valley Community Arts Council. The CVCAC was thrilled to see such a variety of pieces. This calibre of work makes us excited about what is happening with arts and culture in the Comox Valley. It also makes it very difficult to choose. With an estimated 600,000 visitors to the Terminal on an annual basis this is an ideal venue to showcase our areas local talents.

To exhibit at the CV Airport Terminal artists must reside on Vancouver Island from Nanaimo north, must be members of the CVCAC and fulfill all of the requirements of the submission policy. The Airport exhibition is changed four times a year. Please visit the information counter at the CV Airport for details about work in this exhibition. You can also visit the CVCAC website at http://www.comoxvalleyarts.org or call (250) 338 4417 ex2 for more information.

The CVCAC and the CV Airport Authority would like to thank the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association for their support of this year’s exhibits. Downtown Courtenay hosts an exciting variety of experiences, see for yourself, and discover why residents and visitors alike flock to this one-stop destination year-round.

We would also like to thank the community and volunteers for their support with this project.

FMI: Dallas Stevenson, Gallery Coordinator 338-4417 ex 2