Are you ready for a wild and wonderful Culture Days? Hope so because it’s coming atcha in all it’s glory this weekend.
First things first however, starting tonight, Wednesday, Sept. 26, Mama’s Broke, a duo from Cape Breton, NS are in town for the second of two Home Routes House Concerts. They will be playing at 183 Murton Blvd. Doors open at 7 pm and music starts at 7:30 pm. You can feel free to bring refreshments and snacks. E-mail rossann53@hotmail.com to reserve seating. These two young women played the folk festival circuit this summer, culminating in a great main stage performance at Summerfolk in Owen Sound, Ont., where they had fabulous notices so do not miss. You have another chance to catch them in Cranberry Portage tomorrow night but Ann and Doug have lots of room.
Culture Days kicks off on Friday with programming for kids beginning at St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church. There will be arts and crafts, singing, music, puppetry and games appropriate for the age group. The Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre will be on hand to lead the children in bannock making and provide some age-appropriate indigenous teachings. There will be spectacular Superstar programs at the Flin Flon elementary schools, where kids can learn circus skills, dance, puppet-making and rock and roll. There will be over 20 events at the high school this year, ably led by Natalie Milligan because teens need culture too, of course, but really, we have been celebrating Culture Days in Flin Flon for long enough now that the kids want to continue their cultural explorations through this weekend.
On Friday evening the weekend really gets going with Human Books at the Flin Flon Library, Local Roots at Ann and Doug’s, Culture Shock at the Hooter and Act Like a Ham Sandwich at the Dorothy Ash Theatre. Later, there is Dancing Light Through Birchbark, a live radio play and Drum!, which you have to experience, there is no way to do it justice otherwise.
Of course there are events all day on Saturday, including Brad Bellegarde, an indigenous hip-hop artist, and an Artist’s Talk by the featured artist at NorVA Centre, Takeshi Iwasaki. You should really try to see him, he is exceptional. There is a Wild Things Market in Creekside Park where you can buy everything from honey to pottery, listen to musicians jam and meet friends. One very special event is Shahina Siddiqui speaking on Women in Islam. She is the president of the National Council of Canadian Muslims and is Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association. She will be very exciting to hear.
On Saturday evening check out the Wild Rice Cabaret which will feature fabulous Flin Flon musicians and the usual group painting of the as-yet-to-be-revealed subject. It is always a fun evening. The fun doesn’t end there, because Sunday has oodles of fun stuff to do with Dancing Down Main Street, Pictures at an Exhibition at the NorVA Centre, the Central Canada Film Group film ‘Leave No Trace’, the blues jam at Johnny’s and the Junior Bombers bunk hockey game.
Do yourself a favour and check it out. You won’t regret it!
