From the Wednesday Concert Series to the Wednesday Socials

In 2011, a group of individuals came together to brainstorm ways to encourage businesses to have more regular hours during the summer months. Believe it or not, summer was not an overly busy time in Fernie and many businesses particularly in the downtown corridor regularly closed on Sundays. 

The idea the majority of the group went with was creating a pedestrian friendly 2nd Avenue with inclusive games, events and activities to attract more foot traffic and support local businesses in this transition. They coined it the Sunday Socials. 

A few people who were more involved in arts and culture, proposed organizing a separate event that would also attract people to downtown but in the evenings with live music on Wednesdays. They had seen similar events in other mountain towns and felt it would be a good fit for Fernie. The first of the Wednesday Concert Series took place July 20, 2011, with the support of the Fernie Brewing Company, Fernie Arts Station and Fernie Chamber of Commerce, hosting four live concerts that first summer. Headliners were Jack Mercer, Faceplant, Erin Frances and a Wapiti ‘Sneak Peek’ (it was their first summer, too!), and The Hephers and Bickertons. 

By the second year, the series moved to weekly, with 8-9 concerts and while growth felt slow, there were dedicated Wednesday Concert goers who continued to bring friends, and it was obvious that the momentum was picking up. More people meant more beer garden sales which meant they could begin to offer more to musicians and attract some bigger acts. 

In the spring of 2016, organizers saw that the Cave Singers were playing Calgary Folk Festival. They loved the sound of this Indie Rock band from Seattle, Washington and while they knew it would be popular, they didn’t quite realize how popular. They were keen to play in Fernie prior to their gig, and this team of volunteers quickly felt that this was a big turning point. Knowing the series would only continue to grow with each year, they passed the event on to the Arts Station – a cultural hub in Fernie.

Now called the Wednesday Socials, the Arts Station continues to host this extremely popular summer event. Downtown Fernie truly comes to life Wednesdays in summer with free live music, DJs, food trucks, kids’ arts and crafts, beer gardens, socializing, dancing, connecting… for everyone! Whether you’re a local, new to town, or visiting, you don’t want to miss this outstanding series, with headliners including My Son the Hurricane and Joce Reyome this summer. Wow. 

It truly is impressive how much can change in 15 years. From 30 people to over 1,000 at the Wednesday Socials, from a quiet downtown Fernie to a bustling street packed with patios and shoppers galore. Summer in Fernie just continues to get better, alongside its arts and culture offerings. 

Visit theartsstation.com for this year’s full lineup and for additional events and activities taking place this summer.