The cannery flats fill for a festival that nearly did not run
Three days of dancing below the old cannery, on a budget that came together six weeks out.
By Rita Nyland
20 August 2026
1 min
The grant that carried the festival for eight years was not renewed. The organisers found out in June, which is late.
What replaced it was smaller, local and largely in cash: the co-op, two businesses, and a great many envelopes. The festival ran at about two-thirds its usual size, and the flats were fuller than last year.
The organisers would rather have the grant back. They also say the envelopes changed something about who felt the weekend belonged to them.
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