Ray Lafleur, president of the Boundary District Arts Council, unveiled plans for first the first annual Kettle International Arts Festival earlier this month.

Lafleur and other members of the festival committee appeared at city council on Monday, May 10.

Lafleur said the new festival, which the committee hopes to launch in 2011, will draw on what the Kettle River region already has to offer.

“There’s current festival activity that we would like to put under the same umbrella,” he said.

However, whereas individual community’s might host a festival on their own for two or three days, the Kettle Festival will run for 10 days, encompassing all the events in the region that are willing to co-ordinate their schedules, sometime between July 22 and Aug. 21.

The group is in discussion with Ferry County and plans to contact Stevens County in Washington State, as well Boundary region groups.

As well, the committee is looking at performers from neighbouring areas who could be brought in to headline events and Spree-Neisse, the sister region in Germany, will also be invited to participate.

A “Children’s Marquee” will provide a safe venue for kids, while the “Youth Hang-out” will provide structured activities for older kids such as kayaking, trail rides and arts and culture activities.

“The audience is all interests and ages,” Lafleur said.

Festival venues will be both public and private. For example, Lafleur mentioned Joybilee Farm as a possible participant.

In general, Lafleur said the group would like events to be free, so they are looking for potential sponsors, as well as grants to help fund the project.

Those interested in participating in the development of the festival are invited to attend a meeting at Selkirk College, Room 8, on Saturday, May 29, from 2 to 4 p.m.