Culture Days: in photos

Huntsville celebrated its art, culture and heritage with dozens of free activities around town for Culture Days. The annual, national event happens in communities across Canada.

There were artists in windows and on the street, a Victorian tea party, art and puppetry demonstrations, opportunities to make art, and even the chance to have your problems crushed by a train. A special event that helped kick off the weekend – the Algonquin Outfitters Tom Thomson Paddle Art Auction – even raised $20,094 for two local groups that support arts and culture: Oxtongue Lake for Arts and Culture and the Town of Huntsville reserve fund for the acquisition of public art.

Check out some photos and video from the weekend below.

The weekend-long celebration began with a flag-raising at Town Hall on Friday morning and a performance from young local musician Briar Summers.

: Briar Summers

: Passersby were invited to take a selfie with Tom Thomson for Culture Days

: A backstage tour of the Algonquin Theatre was one of several tours around town

The Algonquin Outfitters Tom Thomson Paddle Art Auction on Friday night featured a performance by local musician Sean Cotton, playing a canjo – a banjo made from a broken paddle and an old Coleman gas can. It’s a talented musician who can take an unusual instrument, write an original song for it, and make it sound GOOD. (Note the garbage can drum in the video below, too.)

Meanwhile, downstairs in Partners Hall, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts hosted a Cocktails and Canvas event, with participants painting a fall scene.

: Sean Cotton plays the canjo

: Beautiful paddles were on display for the Algonquin Outfitters Paddle Art Auction

: Artist Helena Renwick showed participants how to paint a fall scene during the Cocktails and Canvas event

: Look at those beautiful paintings! All were created at Cocktails and Canvas.

The free activities for Culture Days continued on Saturday with art demonstrations and activities, live music, a genealogy discussion, a Victorian Tea courtesy of the Huntsville and Area Historical Society, and more.

: Artist Connie Kelso paints during Culture Days 2016 while a young passerby looks on (Doppler file photo)

: The Huntsville Suzuki School of Music entertained passersby

: Artist Helena Renwick took advantage of the sunny day to paint outside

: Grant Peddie explains the intricacies of the bagpipes

: The Huntsville and Area Historical Society hosted a Victorian Tea

Over at Muskoka Heritage Place, people were invited to write their problems on ostraca (pieces of broken pottery) and lay them on the tracks for The Portage Flyer to crush. The idea stemmed from the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman practices of curse tablets.