Culture, culture, culture.
It's Culture Days this weekend, starting Friday, Sept. 27.
Founded in 2009, Culture Days is a non-profit organization dedicated to building a national network of cultural connections devoted to providing Canadians with opportunities to participate in, and appreciate, all forms of arts and culture. Through an annual three-day national celebration each September, hundreds of thousands of artists and cultural organizations in hundreds of cities and towns come together and invite Canadians to participate in free interactive and "behind the scenes" activities to discover their cultural spirit and passion.
This fourth annual Culture Days will see approximately 7,000 free activities happening in 850 Canadian cities and towns.
The Battlefords
In North Battleford, the Western Development Museum will be celebrating Culture Days Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. with something for everyone. Look for storytelling, rope making and wagon rides. See the Battlefords Quilters and Dragon Fly Dreams Pottery in action. Enjoy highland dancing, Svoboda dancers and more.
Also on Friday, there will be an art opening for a school of origami fish that has been installed in the Battleford Library. Come enjoy the many colourful fish suspended in mid air, talk with the artists who made the fish and hear what they have to say about the process of turning old books and magazines into a work of art. Free workshops have been held leading up to this event in which the public has been able to take part in creating the fish.
At the North Battleford Library, Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m, look for the book fort. Approximately 3,000 books were used to make this little house in the lobby of North Battleford Library. Spend some time in it and enjoy the atmosphere. Meet the young artists who helped make the fort.
Both library events are connected to the workshops Karlie King, one of the artists that SaskCulture hired as animateurs for Culture Days, has been doing all summer throughout the region.
Sunday, there will be a Culture Days Family Fun Day at the Chapel Gallery, a fun-filled afternoon of crafts and activities for kids of all ages - nature mandalas, run the labyrinth, face painting, kite making and trading cards.
Luseland
The Luseland and District Museum has organized a pottery workshop with Marilyn Kennedy for Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. In this workshop, participants will be making pinch pots and coil pots. All ages are welcome.
In the evening, from 7 to 10 p.m. enjoy an evening of cowboy poetry by Arden Brody, a performance and demonstration by the local square dance club and a unique one man band performance by Walter Zunti, who plays the drums, violin and mouthorgan all at the same time. Dancing is highly encouraged!
Rabbit Lake
In Rabbit Lake, they are having a piñata party. From 2 to 4 p.m., children will have a turn at breaking open pinatas that were made over the summer. Also, there will be craft demonstrations for all ages: paper marbling, noon to 2 p.m; machine quilting, noon to 4:30 p.m.; basic stitch in knitting, crocheting and first steps in needlework from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Mayfair
Mayfair Library has been growing a garden of a different sort. Paper artists created plants and flowers all spring and summer to make a paper garden, which will be exhibited the Saturday of Culture Days at Mayfair Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In keeping with the garden theme, they have also organized a Farmers' Market. Farmers and artisans will have their wares for display and sale alongside the garden made from old books.
Medstead
Andrew and Wendy, the owners and operators of Bogart's Bay Coffee in Medstead will be demonstrating first hand how to roast coffee the old school way Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take in some traditional roasting demonstrations, and enjoy some brew while you talk "coffee talk."
Glenbush
On a farm southwest of Glenbush, overlooking Lost Horse Lake, two different painting techniques will be demonstrated as well as how to make soap using pure and organic buffalo, elk or deer tallow as a main ingredient. This will run Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. From Glenbush, drive a half mile south and a half mile west to meet up with organizers Lavonne Dyck, Dorothy Schmidt and Barb Janzen.
Waseca
Waseca will celebrate Culture Days Saturday, beginning with a pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. Organizers have also planned an Amazing Walk, a stroll through what makes Waseca. It will showcase history, including the Centennial Garden and path, venues in the community including the Heritage Church and a mural in the hall, and will also include some interactive activities with Waseca's Volunteer Firemen and Clear Water Canoeing from Paynton.
A mini quilt show and demonstration by the Waseca Quilting Ladies is planned and there will also be displays of paintings, photography, knitting and more by various local people.
Also look for wagon rides, outdoor demonstrations, classic cars, a bouncy house, sand pile scramble, a t-shirt tie dye and Sprinkles the Clown. There will be live entertainment and performances throughout the day by the Junior Poundmaker Native Dancers and Drummers and other local talent.
Supper will feature beef on a bun, salads and a saskatoon crisp with ice cream.
The evening entertainment will feature Reg and Hazel Rust and family members belonging to the Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association. (Reg was born and raised at Waseca). The show will include music, singing and cowboy poetry.
St. Walburg
As part of St. Walburg's Culture days, the Imhoff Museum and Gallery at the Imhoff Heritage Site will be open to the public for the entire weekend offering free tours. There will be live music and refreshments. Hours will be Friday 1 to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
In town, visit the Historical Church Museum where there are over 2,000 artifacts including Imhoff paintings, an 1870 Canadian Flag, 1901 maps of Canada, pictures of the area, antiques and more. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and again on Saturday and Sunday, on which days there will be demonstrations of antiques including a gramophone and a treddle sewing machine, museum scavenger hunt and more.
Saturday the Allied Arts Council has art exhibits and refreshments at the seniors' centre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also on Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m., the seniors' centre will be the venue of various demonstrations including working with clay by Jay Kimball, acrylic painting by Rosemarie Stadnyk and cake decorating.
Saturday and Sunday at the Chuckwagon Interpretive Centre there will be chuckwagon exhibits and videos, an interactive photo display of local wildflowers and an art exhibit by local artists. The hours will be Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Admission is free to all events.
Paradise Hill
On Friday, Culture Days will see a Papier Maché Flash Mob. A large group of school kids will meet at the Paradise Hill Library at around 1 p.m. and quickly, crazily, creatively, make bowls from old books.
Frenchman Butte
Culture Days at Frenchman Butte will be held Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be an image transfer art exhibit displaying the artwork from a free two-day workshop at the Frenchman Butte Museum. Participants of the workshop selected personal photos of yesteryear, which celebrate the rich history of the area, and then transferred them to pieces of old wood to further enhance an antique aesthetic. Along with the exhibition is an arts market, featuring demonstrations and crafts for sale.
Fort Pitt Historic Site
The third annual My Heart's in My Saddle Trail Ride will be part of this year's Cultural Days. It will be held Sunday with registration at 11 a.m., the ride starting at noon and the Fort Pitt annual fall supper at 5 p.m. Participants are asked to wear red to help raise awareness of the devastation of heart disease and stroke. There will be no registration fee, however, donations will be collected for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
