Downtown Okotoks was filled with a wide variety of talented performers for BuskersFest this past weekend.

And one local musician says it was great to see participation from so many young performers throughout the day Saturday.

Tim Korthuis, Foothills Philharmonic Chorus director, says events like BuskersFest can provide youth with a valuable opportunity.

"I think it's a very non-threatening environment, very encouraging," Korthuis says of the street festival. "I love seeing all the kids around and I'm well aware that kids get much better with bigger audiences and I think that's fabulous."

He adds that performing in front of a crowd such as the one at BuskersFest can build confidence for young artists and can help them develop their performance skills.

"You have an audience that is walking down the street, smiling at you and just being encouraging," he says. "I haven't seen a single person who looked at me and said, 'No, thank-you.' Nobody does that. The people who come out to Buskerfest are people who are here to have a good time, have lots of fun and they want to encourage you, so come out and be encouraged."

Korthuis was set up playing some jazz at the street festival on Saturday, a genre which he says he doesn't always have the opportunity to perform. In addition to a variety of performers, visitors to BuskersFest could also sample food and browse the works of artists and vendors.

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