We are thrilled to announce details concerning the three main locations for the Island-wide Kitchen Party planned for Islander Day (Feb 20).

While celebrations will be happening all over PEI, three specific venues will be live-streamed, so that anyone all over the world can join in the celebrations. These three venues are Charlottetown (Murphy’s Community Centre), Summerside (Credit Union Place), and Souris (Blue Fin Restaurant & Black Rafter Lounge).

In Charlottetown, Francois Weber will act as MC with musical acts including Kelley Mooney, 10 Strings And A Goatskin, Amanda Rae Gallant, and the College of Piping.

Summerside’s festivities will include Gordon Belscher as MC, and Richard Wood, Wally Young, Allan Sonier and Taylor Sonier, the College of Piping, Eric Payne, Jennifer Carson, Johnny Oliver, the Reel School of Dance, and the Judy MacLean dancers for entertainment.

In Souris, Melvin Ford will MC the celebrations and include the following entertainment acts: Mary Chaisson and Lem Chaisson, Billy White, Peggy Clinton and Lester Stubbert, Pam Grant and Sasha Bruce, Christa Young and Sharon Winters, and JJ Chiasson and guests.

There are also confirmed events happening in Morell, Tyne Valley, Murray River, and O’Leary. More entertainment acts may also be added to the three live-streaming sites.

Keep watching this space for updates! Or, follow us on twitter (@IslandersBCA).

There’s been a lot of talk about PEI’s Biggest Kitchen Party (next month!) and we’ve been so excited about planning this absolutely fabulous event that we may have gotten ahead of ourselves.

We may have assumed that everybody knows what a Kitchen Party is.

For this, we ask forgiveness and wish to make amends. Let us stop for a moment, breathe, take a time-out, and explain what, exactly, a Kitchen Party is.

The term “Kitchen Party” is well known in Atlantic Canada, but may not be familiar in other parts of the country or around the world.

Way back in the day, before oil heating and electricity, the kitchen was the main room in the house. People would gather in the kitchen (where, often, the wood stove would be) to socialize. Kitchens were bigger than they are now—typically, the largest room in the house.

So, the kitchen was the life of the house. It was where you could be warm and enjoy food and drink. What else did you need?

Music, of course!

Well, often these frequent and informal gathering of friends, families, and strangers involved not only conversation, nibbles, and laughter, but also some really fantastic music.

Cue fiddles, pianos/organs, and any other musical instrument available (even spoons!), played by people of all ages. Cue dancing and hand clapping and singing and general good times.

A Kitchen Party could look something like this:

You may have also heard them called “Ceildh” (Gaelic). There are many Ceildh halls throughout the Maritimes, and you’re likely to hear music like this:

In the Acadian regions of Atlantic Canada they are often called Soirées from, of course, the French. Whether they are called Kitchen Parties, Ceildh’s, or Soirées, they are parties and great fun. We Atlantic Canadians do not need much of an excuse to party.

Now that you know what it all means, you have a much better reason to go (if you needed a reason). The IBCA Kitchen Party will be awesome, don’t you think?

Islander Day is next month. An entire day set aside to enjoy living in PEI.

Why not tell the world how great PEI is?

During the live-streaming of  PEI’s Biggest Kitchen Party, we want to play videos from you telling us what you love about PEI.

And you don’t need to live here in order to participate. If you’ve ever visited here and fallen in love with the Island, tell us why. If you’ve never set foot on our red soil, but have always wanted to, let us know!

We’re looking for you to tell us about the magic of PEI.

So, here’s your chance to be seen and heard all over the world. Please keep videos short (under 2 minutes would be ideal) and send them to info@peislanderbychoice.com (if files are too big to send via email, please use YouSendIt.com to email us the files). We will need the videos by Friday, February 10, so get your cameras rolling!

We know you love PEI. Now, let’s tell the world why.