The Open Air Orchestra Society was incorporated as a non-profit society in the winter of 2007. Led by a group of amateur musicians who loved their community music group, The Carnival Band, the society was formed to promote ensemble playing and advocacy throughout the city.

We strive to build partnerships with Vancouver’s rich resource of professionally trained musicians to conduct public workshops in creative performance. We focus on culturally diverse and locally composed musical performance, with the vision of fostering community spirit, empowerment, creativity, and skill.

Illuminaries 2010

This could be the first time the Carnival Band has taken the show to a DTES alley.

This year Public Dreams brought Illuminaries to W2, the old/new Woodward’s site. The event included indoor and outdoor performances.

Andrew, Ann, Dom, JohnC (and Pierrette, Tara’s Mom)


Tim, Roisin, Andrew, Samantha


Fred, Roisin, Marc

Passon For Percussion/Tara’s Birthday

Saturday’s second gig was Passion For Percussion at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens

Debbie B
Luke, Bryan, Sadie


The birthday girl
Happy Birthday Tara!

Multi-Cultural Parade 2010

What better way to spend a sunny Saturday morning than to parade down a mountain.

The Annual North Vancouver Downhill Parade


devo

Escalators, more fun than Playland


Sadie’s new hot pink axe


Mike Antares’ HONK! Photos

Mike Antares, the photographer for Minor Mishap Marching Band of Austin, TX, has just uploaded about 30 HONK! Fest West images to the band’s flickr pool.

Tara

James X. Griffiths

For many more great images from HONK! Seattle check out

There are numerous excellent, heretofore unseen, shots of Carnival Bandits including this shot of Roisin at Seattle Centre

Roisin


Greetings From Malawi

Duncan McNicholl, one of the band’s most excellent trumpet players, is working in Africa.

You can follow Duncan’s adventures and efforts to bring clean water to Malawi by subscribing to his blog,

Duncan sends his love to the Carnival Band.

Jesse, Lisa, Duncan at Pride ’09