Flin Flon’s annual fall festival of culture is right around the corner and organizers are putting together plans for Culture Days 2023.
This year’s Culture Days events will take place from Sept. 22-Oct. 15, continuing the theme of hosting several weeks’ worth of events under the Culture Days umbrella instead of one week. No events have yet been listed for Flin Flon on the Canada-wide Culture Days website, but annual favourites like the Wild Things Market are set to make a comeback, according to organizers. The market itself will be held Sept. 23-24 at Creekside Park.
“We are starting to line up all of our events,” said a statement from the Flin Flon Arts Council to The Reminder.
Most of the plans are still being kept under wraps, but one major appearance is already set - the community will host playwright and author Tomson Highway Oct. 13-14, as confirmed by organizers.
Highway has spent decades sharing stories and plays showcasing Indigenous peoples, traditions and themes, including plays like The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, the novel Kiss of the Fur Queen, children’s books, essays and libretti. Originally from northern Manitoba, Highway is now recognized as one of Canada’s most lauded and culturally important writers, being made a member of the Order of Canada in 1994 and being named by Maclean’s as one of the 100 most important people in Canadian history.
Nationally, Culture Days has been billed as “three glorious weeks of colour, creativity and community.” The Flin Flon edition of Culture Days has won awards and recognition in the past for having far more events than much larger areas, including major Canadian cities. Last year’s festivities saw the typical number of events scaled back, in hopes of building a bigger public presence after COVID-19 event restrictions - despite the change, Flin Flon Culture Days was still named as the biggest event of its kind among Canadian towns and rural areas.
Last year’s Flin Flon Culture Days was capped off by a performance by Winnipeg’s Ivan Flett Memorial Dancers Oct. 1, part of an even longer schedule of local exhibits.
The 2022 edition of Culture Days saw some changes to long-time events, including the Human Books showcase - normally held at the Flin Flon Public Library as a single social event where significant local people shared stories with onlookers, last year the event was replaced with a wine-and-cheese event where wines were paired with certain books.
