The Trail & District Arts Council is excited to present a range of great musicians at Kootenay Savings Music in The Park. With two acts per night, it’s the perfect opportunity for all the family to get together outside and listen to great live music in beautiful Gyro Park from June 26 to August 14.

On July 24, our new event RemarkABILITY Fest, in partnership with Diverse Family Roots, will provide unique experiences to engage the public and celebrate inclusion and diverse community.

RemarkABILITY Fest is the first of its kind in Trail and our headliners, Rock Squad, include members who are Autistic who are excited to bring their music on the road for the first time ever!

Rock Squad is a 4-piece band covering classic rockers from the past that will rock your socks off! The band was formed after two members Luc Picard (drums) and Marshall (Guitar) met at Autism BC during one of their Awareness Events.

Luc is also the inspiration for Rock4autism. He was diagnosed with autism before his 3rd birthday, and has been drumming since he could sit up! He won the K-5 talent show in grade 3 with his keys and vocals rendition of Song Sung Blue by Neil Diamond. In 2016 he began performing at Open Mic jams in the Vancouver area, and now he plays bass, drums, keys along with guitar.

Rock4autism had its first Fundraiser at the Paddlewheeler Pub in 2017, because the staff at the pub loved Luc so much. They donated over $2,000.00 to Autism BC at that time, and in 2018 Rock4autism 2 took place at the outdoor stage at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody and that is where Rock Squad was born.

The rest of Rock Squad tonight are Andrew MacFarlane on lead guitar and Dean on bass. Andrew is a very talented professional musician, and has been a supporter of Rock4autism ever since it all started at his Open Mic jam. Get ready to rock with Andy on board!

Playing classic rockers from the past…from Lay Down Sally, to Rock and Roll All Night, to Born to be Wild, you’ll want to chill near the dance floor….Luc and Marshall also love to engage with the crowd…we all know it’s more fun for the band AND the crowd when there’s crowd participation!!

To add to the evening’s experience, Rhythm by Nature will be running 20-minute drumming workshops at 5:15 pm, 6:00 pm, and 6:45.

Set free your inner rhythm, connect with your community, and let the beat move you in a fully interactive and immersive drumming experience! Participants will learn about and experiment with different drums and drumming techniques. No drumming experience needed and all the instruments are provided. Fun for all ages.

Facilitator Patrick Carrick is a professional percussionist, and music educator. Patrick’s drumming has taken him all around the world and his workshops employ a multicultural approach, not based on any ethnospecific traditions, cultures, or rhythms, so that the experience is accessible to everyone.

Also on location will be hands-on activities, info booths, vendors and food. Please note that anyone applying to participate in activities, info booths or vendors MUST be an organization that supports people with disabilities OR be led by a person with a disability.

FREE shuttle buses run from 5:30 -9:00 from Trail Safeway and Trail Arena at this event.

Also tonight you won’t want to miss a sneak peek at the talented kids in this year’s Triple Threat Theatre double-feature performance “Aristocats” and “Seussical the Musical”.

So, bring a lawn chair and your dancing shoes for a Summer of live music in the park!

Admission is by donation – $3 per person  minimum suggested. Or support the Trail Arts Council’s programming by buying a Season Pass for the whole summer for $30! You may buy a pass at trail-arts.com by clicking on any of the Music in the Park events and clicking the “Buy” button. Or buy them in person at Gyro Park with cash or credit card. Please note that entrance for Music in the Dark is $10.

This show is made possible thanks to support from BC Arts Council, BC Live Performance Network, the Government of Canada, Kootenay Community Council, Kootenay Savings, City of Trail, Columbia Basin Trust, Pharmasave Trail, Teck Trail Operations, HUB International Insurance, Summit 95.7 FM and Tourism South Kootenay. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.