The Wood ‘n’ Wire series of concerts at Johnny’s Social Club is going very well, with sold-out houses for every show thus far, so everyone should get their tickets in advance for the next program this Saturday, August 22.
The show will be the first Wood ‘n’ Wire Ceilidh with our own Natalie Milligan and CC Trubiak and featuring the Dusty Windowsills Ceilidh Band from The Pas.
The band consists of Ron and Patty Scott on banjo and bodhran, Kathy Mckay on fiddle and whistles, Dave Montgomery on guitar and Caitlin Armstrong on fiddle. The music will be an eclectic mix of straight-ahead country, East Coast Canadiana and traditional music from Scotland and Ireland.
We already know CC and Natalie can sing because we’ve had the gift of their talent more regularly at our events, but the Dusty Windowsills will be a new pleasure for many of you.
They played at Culture Days celebrations at the Bakers Narrows Lodge a couple of years back, when Susan Shairp led a motley crew (yes, that is how you spell it, Motley Crue with an umlaut notwithstanding) of Scottish Country Dancers in some reels and jigs.
Unfortunately, there will be no room for dancing at Johnny’s Social Club.
Square Foot
The artists of the NorVA Centre are on their annual retreat as I write this, but you can still express your inner artist by taking advantage of NorVA’s Square Foot event.
You can register at the NorVA Gallery for $25 and pick up your canvas there. Then you have to get creative.
All the canvases are due back at NorVA before the Culture Days Weekend for the art show. The auction comes after the weekend.
This is a fundraiser for the NorVA Centre, but they are committed to ensuring that artists make a living, so not only will they display the work throughout the busiest weekend of the year, they will also split the proceeds of each auctioned item with the artist.
Of course you can choose to donate the entire amount to NorVA, which you will want to do when you see what they have done with the proceeds from last year’s auction (new floor, movable display space, etc...).
Culture Days
You may have noticed that this column is scattered with references to Culture Days and you would be forgiven for imagining that Culture Days is a very big deal in Flin Flon and area, because it is!
It’s early enough to clear your calendar for September 25, 26 and 27, and you will want to, so that you can take in a hearty dose of the events on offer for the fifth annual Culture Days celebrations.
Friday, September 25 is dedicated to our kids with a multitude of events in the schools and in St. Ann’s Church Hall for the pre-schoolers. Last year we made bannock with elder Margaret Head Steppan from the Friendship Centre, learned to hoop dance with the coaches from the local hoop dance troupe, and dressed up as everything from firefighters to fire-breathing dragons courtesy of Penny Grove’s fantastic “Tickle Trunk.”
School-aged children participated in performing and visual arts events in both Flin Flon and Creighton schools thanks to the hard work of their teachers.
On Saturday, September 26 we will move to Pioneer Square for many of the activities, both to watch and to participate in.
Last year we were forced by the weather to move into the Community Hall, but we have usually been very lucky with that.
The Culture Days committee, chaired by Crystal Kolt, the Arts Council cultural coordinator, is passionate about the natural beauty that surrounds us here, so they strive to have as many events as possible outdoors.
Look for a more detailed description of the Saturday events in an upcoming column.
Sunday, September 27 will kick off with the signature event of Culture Days: Dancing Down Main Street.
This will be special for two big reasons. First, it is the fifth anniversary Dance, so everyone who has ever danced is invited back to make this the best ever.
There will be prizes for school participation, so school administrators, get your thinking caps on to be sure your school is ‘the ONE’ (you know you’re thinking about school already!).
Secondly, this year we will be dancing from Co-op to the Neighbours of the North park to dedicate the new David Collins Memorial Cairn. It will be a fine party at that location.
The other ‘traditional’ Sunday events will also happen, notably Pictures at an Exhibition with Mark Kolt on piano (which, I admit, always makes me cry) and the F.U.N. film in the evening – this year it’s Boychoir starring Dustin Hoffman. The weekend is too good to miss, so be sure to add it to your calendars.
