Car Free YYJ

• Nine block street festival from Chatham/Caledonia to Courtney from 11am-6pm with the street closed from 8am-8pm
• Four stages with a range of entertainment
• Three licensed areas – two family friendly with food trucks
• More than 300 vendors
• The Park on Douglas with seating
• Bike valet on Pandora, East of Douglas

Presented by

Presenting Partners

Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to hear the latest news about Car Free YYJ.

Should you have any questions about Car Free YYJ, contact us by email at carfree@downtownvictoria.ca.

The Le La La Dancers are a Victoria-based First Nations Dance Troupe whose members are from the Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwa-kwa-kee-wok) Nation of northern Vancouver Island, B.C. Le-La-La means “traveling from here to there.” The group has professionally and proudly shared their traditional culture by entertaining and educating throughout the world for 30 years, under the direction of George Me’las Taylor. The “Spirit of the Masks” dance performance provides an engaging exhibition of their aboriginal culture in song and dance through the beat of the drum. The high energy demonstrations bring the ancient legends of their people alive through vibrant regalia featuring carved cedar masks, button blankets, and headdresses.

Tyler Harvey is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock, funk and soul. He was born in Victoria and graduated from the School of Hard Knocks with a degree in Stylish Guitar Licks. We he is not break hearts and saving lives, he can be found playing around BC in his local band Quoia.

FUNK CANNON is excited to bring their signature sound, dance moves, and energy back to Victoria for summer 2017. Focusing on their unique house-jazz genre, FUNK CANNON’s performances are musically innovative, visually entertaining, and totally fun. Featuring Thomas Daudlin (Baritone Saxophone), Max Stover (Tenor Saxophone), Miles Fuller (Drums), and Liam Marshall (Bass), FUNK CANNON’s powerhouse young musicians are ready to infuse the summer with a beat that will hit listeners right in the soul.

Rugged Uncle is a six-piece power-pop beast with uptempo anthems. Two drummers provide a persistent rhythmic foundation for instrumental hooks played in three-part guitarmony. Their self-titled album, produced by Colin Stewart and featuring Kathryn Calder’s (New Pornographers) keyboards, will be released March 31st.

The New Souls are a high-energy indie soul quintet hailing from Victoria, BC. This soulful troupe exploded on the scene in the summer of 2012, with a mission to craft a unique sound from their boundless love and respect of soul, R&B, and funk music. Well-crafted melodies, soaring lyricism, and a dynamic rhythm section make The New Souls a must-see live act. The band is locally grown from BC’s finest; its members come from premiere Motown Revue band The Midnights, or are graduates of Victoria High School’s Rhythm and Blues program, while others found their way after working with a variety of other Victoria bands. Their debut EP, ‘Household Daydreaming’ was at Infiniti Studios with Adam Sutherland and Chris Neal, available on Bandcamp. Earnest, authentic, and creative, The New Souls are ready for the exciting and funky years to come.

Steph Macpherson | Victoria’s Steph Macpherson’s debut folk-pop EP, “To You”, showcased an ear for melody, and a knack for honest words and powerful lyricism that was dominated by acoustic guitars and rich harmonies. Her new album, “Bells & Whistles” picks up where “To You” left off, establishing Macpherson as one of Canada’s up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Steph was nominated for a 2013 Western Canadian Music Award for Songwriter(s) of the Year and recognized by SOCAN as a featured artist. In 2012 Victoria’s Zone 91.3 FM named her their April Band of the Month, in August 2012 Vancouver’s Shore 104.3 FM named her ‘Best of BC’ and two weeks later Steph placed 3rd in the Music BC and Cellar Nightclub’s “Voice of the Cellar” Songwriting program. Steph has toured BC & Alberta numerous times over the past years, with annual performances in and around Ontario and Quebec and the US West Coast. She has performed at events such as Lilith Fair, CIMA/Canadian Blast in Los Angeles, Canadian Music Week, Rifflandia Festival, BreakOut West, Blue Sky Festival, SHOREfest, Pop Okanagan, 100.5FM The Peak Performance Project Top 20 and Main Stage of both Tall Tree Festival and the Legislature Lawns in Victoria for Canada Day.

Downtown Mischief | Together they form a unique collective of musicians who met through the raw energy of Friday night jam parties. They have since evolved through a fluctuating community of members and friends to form a driving, pulsing machine that explodes with life on stage. An adventurous west coast lifestyle fuels their inspiration and it is apparent in their music. This emerging band will not only captivate you with their beats, smiles and words, but get you moving and grooving on the dance floor!

Sam Weber is a singer/songwriter and a roots rock band from Victoria, BC in the vein of Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Gillian Welch and the Eagles. Sam Weber’s live show pairs genuine songwriting with world-class musicianship and three-part harmonies. They’ve toured Canada five times in the past two years playing hundreds of shows large and small.

Grossbuster | When he’s not pondering just how dope his moniker is, Victoria’s Grossbuster is making beats. And we don’t mean just “in the studio”- this fella works his midi controller and proceeds to bash out the riddims live. It’s a sight to behold and an amazing mix of drums and samples to hear.

Fox Glove is a female trio from Victoria BC that exists in the realm of harmony and darker folk pop. This band in known for their diverse voices and range in sound, with everything from reflective melancholy ballads to strident and mysterious anthems. Fox Glove has become a staple in the Vancouver Island music scene, performing as a three-piece at more intimate shows, while revealing another four musicians for larger events including an NYE bash with Jesse Roper and Band of Rascals at Sugar Nightclub. They have performed at Song and Surf, Tall Tree, and Rifflandia music festivals, and have supported acts from out of town such as Coeur de Pirate.

Bocce Advocado | Bocce Avocado is an experimental musical project that incorporates hip-hop, world and funk into a marvelous, rum-injected, splendid, danceable iration that is spawned from the musical creativity of those in the vicinity of the Avocado members.

Electric Timber Company | Victoria music collective, The Electric Timber Company’s musical style sits comfortably at the intersection of the Allman Brothers, Otis Redding, and Neil Young, offering the perfect mix of grit and groove. In the years since conception, the continuous union of veteran roots musicians has pioneered a boogie stew of their own invention with ingredients including soulgrass, rock, rhythm and a self-styled strain of roots. Some may say the yin-yang of the Tedeschi Trucks Band is a suitable reference point for what The Electric Timber Company lays down on stage. The all-star assembly (whose membership is culled from notable acts including Current Swell, Towers and Trees, Jets Overhead, and Jon and Roy among others) has been wowing B.C. audiences since 2011, when the dream team of musicians first supplied its soulgrass to audiences around the province.

The Leg Up Program | Originating in Victoria, BC, the awesome 17-piece collective of funk, soul, hip-hop, r&b musicians that make up The Leg-Up Program are a force to be reckoned with! At times, they are a soul band with raspy lead vocals and beautifully sculpted harmonies; at times, they are a funk band with wild horn lines and groovy bass and drums; at times they are a hip hop group with catchy hooks and solid beats; and at times, they are sweet and sultry, keeping the audience fully engaged with the slowest of ballads. Amongst it all is a group of people who simply love to make music and inspire others to do get up, dance and become a part of all the fun! They don’t skimp on musicality either. Each one is a talented musician and their original material stays with you like any hit song. It’s safe to say, this band has it all. This instant party band works hard and it shows.

Do you want to be involved in Victoria’s most exciting community celebration? This year, on June 18 from 11am to 6pm, Car Free YYJ will be closing Victoria’s busiest street for an inclusive community celebration. With a pedestrian only concourse on Douglas Street from Chatham to Courtney, Car Free YYJ will showcase all the best that Victoria has to offer: local businesses and vendors, live music, delicious food and beverages, and much more.

We are looking for volunteers to help make this incredible event happen. Each volunteer will be asked to complete one shift on Sunday, June 18. With a wide range of volunteer roles available, we encourage everyone interested in supporting this opportunity to highlight Victoria’s downtown core to apply.