Westfest

The ever growing and trendy, Westboro, took last Friday to Sunday to throw a festival right in the heart of the village.  Westfest 2011 had local and guest artists, musicians and boutiques come out to show us what they got.  The diversity of talents was amazing, each corner of the festival had it's own flare and vibe.  From a garage band with an epic lightsaber battle, street performers, play castles, chest tournaments and everything in between. People of all ages were in attendance, with the occasional furry companion in tow, the festival had a very community vibe to it.   

Photographs above were kindly provided by Ming Wu, you can see more of her work and more of Westfest at: mingwuphotos.wordpress.com.

The ladies of Lilac Lingerie were out all weekend to model the beautiful pieces sold in the boutique, as well as hand out (lilac!) balloons to people who came to see these beauties.  Be sure to check out Twenty York Street's post: "Afternoon at Lilac Lingerie", where we talk to the owner, the lovely Emilia, about the boutique's unique take on lingerie.

Photographs below were taken from the talented OttawaArne's flikr account, if you want to check out more pictures from Westfest or of his work, go to: www.flickr.com/photos/ottawaarne. You can also follow him on twitter @OttawaArne.

The guys from Stunt Double Circus was one of the amazing side street shows.  These guys are strong, brave and a little crazy - the stunts that they pulled constantly made me gasp when anticipated for them to get their feet back on the ground. 

The main headliner of the festival was the one and only Bif Naked.  Fans of this rocker chic are used to a loud and energetic performances but this time she showed us a different side of her.  Opting to sit down instead of jumping around, she played mostly acoustic versions of her songs, the feel was intimate.  She invited people to come up and speak freely as she shared personal stories with the audience.  Even though Bif Naked showed a calmer side, her powerful presence was still ever present.  For more on Bif Naked's performance, check out the article "Bif Naked hangs out her shingle" in the Ottawa Citizen.

Lucky Fans joined Bif Naked for the song "Tango Shoes".

Closing song was my personal favourite of hers, "I Love Myself Today", 

an anthem for anyone whose survived heartbreak and has come out of it stronger.

Post written by Ashelle.

Photo credits: Ming Wu and Ottawa Arne.