With headliners from Los Angeles, Vancouver and Edmonton as well as many local performers, the upcoming Itty Bitty Burlesque Festival promises to be a diverse showcase of artistic expression.
Jessie Herman (Sasparilla Foxx), the leader of the Foxxie Follies, says the festival has grown over the years, and it is now a three-day event.
“People apply from all over Canada to get into the festival,” said Herman. “My first year, we had only 25 applications, and this year, we had 98. I’m getting people from the states wanting to come to Quesnel. It’s pretty neat.”
The fourth annual Itty Bitty Burlesque Festival takes place April 25-27 at the Occidental.
Herman says there are 60 performers coming to the festival, and 40 of them are from all across Canada.
This year’s headliners include Melody Mangler from Vancouver, Silk E Gunz from Edmonton, Beau Creep from Edmonton and Egypt Blaque Knyle from Los Angeles, who is ranked 26th on the Top 50 Burlesque list in the world, says Herman.
“It’s a pretty big deal for us,” she said.
There will be three days of performances, including a local showcase on the evening of April 25, and there will be workshops the Friday and Saturday, including workshops offered by all of the headliners. As well, vendors are setting up a Glitter Village.
“There will be at least 20 acts a night, and every act is nothing like the last,” said Herman. “It’s very diverse.”
Herman says ticket sales for this year’s event have been going well, and she encourages locals who are interested in the festival to buy their tickets soon.
“One-third of the tickets have already been sold to people coming from Prince George and Williams Lake, so there are a lot of economic spin-offs for Quesnel,” she said, adding she expects that with this many tickets already sold, it will be a sold-out event.
For more information, search for The Itty Bitty Burlesque Festival on Facebook or visit ittybittyburleyfest.strikingly.com.
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editor@quesnelobserver.com
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