The Tiny Lights Festival fosters creativity, community, and connection in Ymir, B.C.

Presented on an annual basis since 2012 as the chief programming arm of the nonprofit Renascence Arts and Sustainability Society, the Tiny Lights Festival has been building community and connectedness in the town of Ymir, B.C. year after year.

The modest Kootenay town boasts a year-round population of ~245: however, this small, close-knit community has become a hotbed for collaborative performances, creation, and performance with the Festival’s development and steady growth. Year over year, as the Tiny Lights Festival has found an audience and a niche, drawing attendees from across the province, it has also made a meaningful economic, social, and creative impact on the populace at large. The Festival has received funding through Amplify BC’s Live Music program.

The Festival is known for operating with an eye to sustainability. While the Festival now sells out each year, they also keep audience capacities to a level that minimizes environmental impact and other disruptions, while also preserving a meaningful sense of connection between audiences and each artist. By operating in this way, Festival organizers have been able to ensure that Tiny Lights grows and evolves in tandem and lockstep with the community of Ymir itself: always complementing year-round patterns and activities, and never overshadowing them.

The Festival’s vibe is intimate, reflective, inclusive, and welcoming: beyond multi-genre artist lineups, recurring activities include songwriting workshops, group performances, and physical and mental wellness sessions. The Festival is also supported by a diverse professional staff team that brings a wide array of lived personal and professional experience to bear. Each year, Festival attendees are treated to a broad mix of performance styles: indie rock artists, pop acts, singer-songwriters, and drag queens have each graced Festival stages in the past.

The 2023 Festival is now sold out, and will feature artists like Pharis & Jason Romero, Sam Tudor, Devours, Meredith Bates, and Luca Fogale, among others. Tiny Lights also maintains a strategic focus supporting emerging artists through their Ignites Workshop. Each year, this artist development initiative features mentorship and skills development opportunities from industry professionals (and Festival alumni) such as Rae Spoon, Khari Wendell McClelland, Thanya Iyer, and more.  

You can learn more about the Tiny Lights Festival here.

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