Prince George, B.C. – Downtown Prince George is inviting residents, visitors and folks who find themselves here quite unexpectedly to head to the city’s core for some summer fun this weekend.

The big event is Summerfest in front of City Hall on Sunday, but a warm-up to the festivities is a Saturday sale which is taking place on Fourth Avenue.  Downtown PG Executive Director Colleen Van Mook says “there are about 22 of our downtown businesses that are involved.  Fourth Avenue, from Quebec Street to Dominion, will be closed for a block party.”

“We’re calling it a kick-off to Summerfest so that merchants can celebrate the weekend and offer some deals and some fun downtown.  Participating stores will have a draw box and we’ll be giving away tickets for the Taste Pavillion on Sunday.”  The Saturday Sale runs from 10 am to 5 pm today.

Summerfest, a festival of fun, food, activities and entertainment, takes place along George Street in front of City Hall, with George closed from Patricia to 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue shut down from George to Dominion.

Summerfest features live music, entertainers, local artisans and community groups, train rides, lots of kids’ activities, a mystic tent of magic featuring Dr Von Houligan’s Carnival of Calamaties and, of course, the ever-popular Taste Pavillion featuring food dishes from 27 Prince George restaurants.

Van Mook is extending a special welcome to all of the people who quite suddenly have found themselves camped out in Prince George, wondering when they might be able to return to their fire-ravaged communities in the Cariboo region.  “We would love these “unplanned” visitors in our community to come and be included in these festivities and enjoy some time away from wherever they’re hanging out”, she says.

She notes that “most of our activities are free and there will be lots of fun downtown.  The Taste Paviliion you do have to purchase tickets for.  We are working with Community Partners Against Homelessness (CPAH) and so, if people end up purchasing Taste tickets that they don’t use, we ask them to leave them behind and all of those funds go to CPAH which is finding a way to share those proceeds with any of the fundraising that’s going on for the evacuees.”

Tickets for the Taste Pavillion are available today at the Prince George Farmer’s Market on 6th Avenue from 8:30 am to 2 pm, and at the Tourism Prince George office at 1300 First Avenue (in the Via Rail building) until 7 pm tonight.  Tickets will also be sold at Summerfest tomorrow.

And Van Mook says Summerfest is definitely a go, no matter what the weather.