Boats floating around the Sea Store for the 2021 Shake the Lake concert (photo courtesy of Mike Helfrick)

By Liam Verster

Concert in the Cinnemousen Narrows

Floating concert planned for Shuswap Lake

Jun 19, 2023 | 12:30 PM

A free concert will be held this weekend on Shuswap Lake north of Sicamous.

Red’s Rentals and Marina and the Sea Store are hosting the inaugural Summer Kick-Off Catalina Wine Mixer.

“We’re having two bands on the roof of the Sea Store this Saturday, June 24. The concert will start at 1 p.m.” Mike Helfrick, owner of Red’s Rentals and Marina and the Sea Store, told Vernon Matters.

“We wanted to have a kickoff, [so] a whole bunch of local businesses got together to make this a free floating concert just to welcome everyone out for the summer and just kick off the summer right.”

The show will open with a performance from Swansea Point’s Five and a Game and be headlined by Breaking Curfew of Sicamous. Both bands will be playing on stage built on top of the Sea Store, which is floating near the Cinnemousen Narrows Provincial Park north of Sicamous and east of St. Ives.

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People can simply drive their boats up to near the Sea Store to catch the show.

“Just float around, drop anchor, whatever you like any where in the [Cinnemouson] Narrows there. We’ve rented a big stereo so from anywhere near us you’ll be able to hear it crystal clear.”

The performances at the Sea Store will be followed by a show by Steve Jevne at the Shark Shack, meaning people can enjoy a lot of great music Saturday and hopefully some good weather.

“Right now the weather’s looking good with a 26, 27 degree forecast so yeah we’re hoping to have a big turnout and have a great day and a great start to the summer.”

He noted police have been notified of the concert to patrol the area and ensure people aren’t consuming alcohol or cannabis while operating their boats and that people are being safe on the water.

Helfrick added the Catalina Wine Mixer-part of the event’s name is a reference to the movie Step Brothers, and a wine mixer event is not actually planned as part of the show.

This will be the first Summer Kick Off show put on by Helfrick, but he has been in charge of the Shake the Lake events held at the end of the summer in previous years, which he said they do plan to host this year as well.

Those concerts have typically brought out around 400 boats full of people, including both locals and tourists, and he hopes the inaugural Summer Kick Off brings out between 200 to 300 boats.

“It’s the first year of the Kick Off so hopefully it will just grow and grow, but we think it will be a good one with the forecast,” Helfrick told Vernon Matters.

Helfrick stated the show costs about $6,000 to put on, and is being supported by a dozen local business sponsors. He told Vernon Matters he is working on drawing in more sponsors to make this a “recognized annual event” to pair with the end of summer concert.

Summer Kick Off and Catalina Wine Mixer (graphic courtesy of Mike Helfrick)

The Sea Store will be open during the show Saturday, but Helfrick asks that people untie and float around to watch the show after visiting the store or fueling up.