The free Picnic in the Plaza event makes its return to the Diana Krall Plaza on Sunday, June 23, with plenty of food, drinks, and entertainment for the whole family. (Submitted/DNBA)

By Jordan Davidson

free family fun

‘We’re really excited:’ Picnic in the Plaza taking over Diana Krall area in downtown Nanaimo

Jun 23, 2024 | 5:21 AM

NANAIMO — Downtown Nanaimo will be buzzing well into the evening hours on Sunday, as it will be the location for the second edition of Picnic in the Plaza.

Hosted by the Downtown Nanaimo Business Association (DNBA), the Diana Krall Plaza will be taken over from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. on June 23 featuring live music, food trucks, and 31 artisan vendors.

Executive Director Roberta Bowman told NanaimoNewsNOW they had an overwhelming response following their inaugural event last year over the Labour Day weekend.

“People were talking about it for months after the event, and that’s what drove us wanting to do two of them this year, so we’re super excited to be putting this one (on) Sunday, and hoping for great weather and for lots of folks to come on down and enjoy Picnic in the Plaza in June.”

The next Picnic in the Plaza is planned for Sunday, Oct. 6, with more information on what will be featured expected to be unveiled this summer.

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Along with the artisan vendors, numerous food trucks with a variety of cuisines and beverages will be available on Sunday, while the family-friendly event is free to attend.

“Our featured entertainer, so our headliner will be the Harpoonist,” said Bowman. “We will have other live music acts leading up to our headliners such as Maverick Cinema, From the Earth, the New Groovement, and Leeroy Stagger, so we’re really excited to have them taking part in our event this year.”

As far as the food trucks go, Bowman said they wanted to make sure they have a “well-rounded assortment” of food available, with food trucks coming on a fire-come-first-serve basis due to limited available space.

More information on Picnic in the Plaza can be found here at the DNBA website.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow