The 2021 Vancouver Island MusicFest 鈥� The Virtual Edition 鈥� will be like no other festival executive producer Doug Cox has ever put together.

And while there have been many challenges new to him, there have been plenty of opportunities as well.

One such opportunity is the ability to promote the beauty of Comox Valley as a whole. With the entire community at his disposal, Cox and his team took the show to the great outdoors.

Many of the segments were filmed outside, highlighting 鈥渂eautiful, natural British Columbia鈥� in a way no other music festival has done.

The Comox Valley acquired its name from local Indigenous Peoples鈥� term for 鈥楲and of Plenty.鈥� On the weekend of July 9-11, the Land of Plenty will be showcased to the world and live-streamed by Black Press.

There are segments shot on Hornby Island, at the Number Six Mine Park in Cumberland, at Comox Lake (with the iconic Comox Glacier in the background), at 40 Knots Winery, Ships Point, and even at Crown Isle Golf Resort.

鈥淲hat we tried to do was shoot in some of the areas that are iconic to the Valley,鈥� said Cox. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit funky and it鈥檚 really cool.鈥�

Attracting future artists, tourists

Cox said featuring the beauty of the Valley will prove to be a useful tool not only for attracting artists to future MusicFests but also as a tourism hook on the whole.

鈥淔or our funding this year, through the Ministry of Tourism, part of what we pitched was we told them we were going to feature the Comox Valley and its surroundings more than we ever have - not just the arts, but also the areas around here,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o that was an interesting challenge - how can we support North Island tourism when people aren鈥檛 even allowed to come here. That鈥檚 another huge part of why we are doing it this way.

鈥淎nd it was really nice to be able to support some of the sponsors as well鈥� for us to get to bring our artists to places like Crown Isle, who have supported us so greatly all these years, and give them exposure, I think that is a really great thing.鈥�

Cox said despite the wet spring, the weather cooperated, for the most part.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had two planned shoots on Mount Washington that we.. had to postpone鈥�. But other than that, we鈥檝e had a few rainy days, but we have been pretty lucky so far, with our shooting days.鈥�

A Mount Washington shoot was completed on July 20, with Helen Austin as the featured artist.

In addition to the scenery, Vancouver Island talent will shine like never before.

Due to the ongoing travel restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the aforementioned challenges for the 2021 festival was lining up enough performers to create segments featuring the local scenery.

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鈥淲e pretty well had to shoot only artists who could leave and go back home on the same day,鈥� said Cox. 鈥淪o that was the focus. Certainly, restrictions are loosening now, but even three weeks ago, that was a major concern.鈥�

Fortunately for Cox, the Comox Valley鈥檚 鈥楲and of Plenty鈥� moniker is not restricted to its natural beauty. There is a cornucopia of musical talent in the community as well.

鈥淚t鈥檚 worked out really well,鈥� said Cox. 鈥淔or one, it would have been really hard to arrange and accommodate a lot of acts from outside B.C, with what we are trying to do here, just because of all the restrictions due to the pandemic. But we also made a conscious decision to focus more on home to try and just support our local scene鈥︹��

While there are more local acts than other years, the 2021 Vancouver Island MusicFest will still have an abundance of talent from other parts of the province, and the country.

It will have an international flair to it as well, with segments shot in Austin, Texas, a 鈥榖ehind the scenes鈥� look at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama, and even a one-hour segment shot in and around Scotland.

(Watch for a feature on those segments in an upcoming article.)

For more information on Vancouver Island MusicFest - The Virtual Edition, visit i

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