Midsummer's Dream fest aims to separate from multicoloured pack

Hamiltons Midsummers Dream festival isnt the only multicoloured party on the block anymore.

Colour festivals and colour marathon runs like Colour Me Rad and Run or Dye have become commonplace in southern Ontario in the three years since organizer Mark Gowland started his festival in Gage Park.

Yet while some may feel event fatigue over parties and marathons where you end up covered in multicoloured dye, Gowland says he wants his festival to take root in Hamilton and grow year after year to become a staple in the citys busy festival circuit.

Its true, I do see [colour festivals] everywhere now, Gowland told CBC Hamilton. But I want this to be something else to be everlasting, and dig deep into the community.

I just want to make a difference and cause a scene.- Mark Gowland, organizer

The Midsummers Dream festival has a shot at doing just that. Both crowds and interest have swelled each year since its inception, andGowlandinsists that the festival embodies certain characteristics: creativity, inclusion, and above all,fun.

The festival is a homage to the Holi Festival of Colours in South Asia, where people celebrate wildly and hurl coloured powder at each other. The spring festival exists to celebrate positive energy and bridge social barriers. Gowland says those ideas influence everything he does with his festival, too.

I just really liked what Holi represents, he said. Its an amazing transformation when everyone is covered in colour.

We become all the same, suddenly.

• READ MORE: Painting the town red (and purple and yellow) at the Hamilton Peace Festival

The event is built around timed colour tosses, where revellers gather and throw packets of dye into the air. This year, theres also plenty of festival fare like food and music featuring performances by the likes of local beatboxer Hachey the MouthPeace and bands such as City and the Sea and The Human Orchestra.

Theres also yoga, an all-day sports field, and an arts and crafts tent Gowland calls the Temple of Creativity, where festival-goers pay what they can and get access to a do-it-yourself craft table. The proceeds goto McMaster Childrens Hospital.

I just wanted something where everyone is constantly participating and doing something instead of just standing around, Gowland said. Its the most interactive festival Ive ever been to.

The event is free, but attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food donation for the Living Rock food bank. The festival gathered 800 pounds of food in its first year and close to triple that last year, Gowland says. He hasnt made any profit on the festival, but thats not really what its about, he says.

I just want to make a difference and cause a scene.

The 2014 Midsummers Dream festival takes place in Gage Park on Saturday, Aug. 16. It runs from noon to 9:30 p.m. and admission is free. For more information, visit the festivals website.