EASTEND — Eastend Activity Centre is a prominent historic brick building (1915), formerly the Eastend School. For many years, it has housed community activities such as dancing and cards. There has been renewed interest in renovating and reinvigorating the space so that more events and activities can be hosted there.
A committee of volunteers is currently raising funds to replace the ramp with a lift to improve access to the building. Other improvements to the building will include ceiling repairs, lighting updates, painting and adding amenities like WiFi. A fundraising concert is scheduled for Nov. 30 and other events will be hosted at the activity centre throughout the winter.
One of those events will be a winter edition of the Eastend Friday Night Market which is continuing to bloom throughout the seasons.
Following on the heels of a very successful summer for the market in Town Square, the event will continue once a month at the Activity Centre. Communities in Bloom recently recognized the Eastend Friday Night Market with a Certificate of Special Recognition for Community Spirit. The presentation was made to the market manager, Melanie Grimster Graven, at the inaugural winter season market on November 8. Vendors can book a table for future markets by contacting [email protected]. Upcoming markets are scheduled for Friday evenings from 5-8 p.m. on Dec. 6, Jan. 10, Feb. 7 and March 7.
Rosa B. Vázquez with Tourism & Economic Development for the Town of Eastend explains the expanded efforts, saying, “The Eastend Friday Night Market (EFNM) Committee decided to integrate three aspects to the traditional Garden Market during the summer: Food, Arts & Entertainment. Vendors varied from traditional vegetable vendors to artists (potters, photographers, jewelry designers, to name a few) and entertainment, from local groups to out-of-province artists, including a Stegner House Artist in Residence. One important highlight of the market throughout the summer was the inclusion of community groups cooking supper, allowing small groups to fundraise and share their work with residents and visitors.”
While the Town Square was the main venue for the EFNM, the Committee organized a Market at the Rodeo Grounds with a Working Stock Dog Demo and teamed up with the Eastend Arts Council and Friends of Pine Cree for a special Arts Market in Pine Cree Regional Park in celebration of the Life & Art of Nick Saville, a local potter who passed away 2 years ago. The EFNM also collaborated with two main Eastend events: Dino Days Festival and the inaugural Big Flat Folk Fest.
The result of the EFNM initiative was more participation of community groups, vendors and the general public. Vázquez says, “Instead of coming to the market to buy their produce and leave, the community stayed for supper, visited with each other and enjoyed local musicians and entertainers. There were around 30 vendors and 10 food vendors participating in the summer months.” A Harvest Market was also held on October 11 featuring a Pumpkin Weigh-In with Anne Taylor’s 104-pound pumpkin taking first prize honours.
A trio of solo, Saskatchewan-based performers will be collaborating and headlining the fundraising concert for the Eastend Activity Centre. Blake Berglund, Belle Plaine and Lachlan Neville are no strangers to the community having performed at last summer’s Big Flat Folk Festival. The fundraising concert for the Activity Centre will be held at the Eastend Memorial Hall on Saturday, Nov. 30. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 and are available at Kranky’s in Eastend or online through Eventbrite. All proceeds will benefit the Eastend Activity Centre for much-needed repairs and improvement.
