Culture Days, an annual national celebration of arts and culture, filled downtown Huntsville with a variety of demonstrations and activities from September 28-30. Visitors could learn about the works of various artists and watch them bring their creations to life, enjoy a Victorian tea, try out stilt-walking, paint papier-mâché bracelets, enjoy music on the street, and much, much more. There were 107 individual events to experience.
Culture Days is made possible by co-chairs Pam MacKenzie and Teri Souter, volunteers, and the dozens of artists, musicians and community members who shared their passions with the community.
Last year, Huntsville’s Culture Days events placed second in communities of less than 50,000 people, and fifth and tenth overall in Ontario and Canada respectively. Stay tuned for how the town fared this year, and in the meantime enjoy photos of some of the activities below.
Don MacKenzie carves a paddle in front of Algonquin Outfitters
Painter Marilyn Smith works on a painting of a loon in front of Christmas Tyme
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People gather on the steps of Town Hall in a visual representation of the 750 people it took to incorporate the village of Huntsville in 1886. (There are about 50 people here—imagine 15 times this many!)
Margaret Penner of the Trillium Hand Spinners and Weavers Guild demonstrates one technique for spinning yarn while Noreen Mitchell (back left) works on making a wool dryer ball
Margaret Penner demonstrates how to use a tabletop loom
Susan Lowe talks art with Culture Days visitors
Connie Kelso enjoys a sunny painting spot in front of The Hudson
Whimsical papier-mâché by Patricia Astley
Patricia Astley invited visitors to paint papier-mâché bracelets
Gabrielle Andersen works on a pen and ink drawing of a fox
Students from the Suzuki School of Music play in front of the Algonquin Theatre with Barry ‘Bazza’ Hayward
(From left) The Muskoka-Parry Sound Genealogy Group’s Carol Stevens with a binder of some of Huntsville’s veterans, Wayne Cooper with a recommended book for starting out in genealogy, and Faye French with a DNA kit
Henley Stroud (left), 15 months, and Ember Krug, 22 months, find some rhythm with instruments from Barry ‘Bazza’ Hayward
The Muskoka Music Men harmonize in Civic Square
Ralph Serra, 6, tries out some stilts with the help of dad Dan Watson
(From left) Elizabeth Stokes Weber, Ruth Binks and Barb MacDonald serve up a Victorian Tea
Rhoni Clarke adds glaze to a tea pot
Painter Brenda Turnour contemplates her next stroke
Shirley Brown passes the time sketching two of the Muskoka Music Men sitting across the room
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Your coverage of Culture Days is greatly appreciated. I would like to send a “huge” thank you to all of the activity organizers who are the backbone of what Culture Days is all about. Create, Participate, Share.
Thank you so much for your wonderful coverage of Cultural Days! It was a blast!!
Doppler certainly does an excellent job of covering all of Huntsville’s (& other local community) news.
Thank you!