This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
Super Saturday is going to be very busy with so much happening all at once.
Things get rolling at 10 a.m. in Centennial Park with Sustainable Orillia’s annual Electric Vehicle and E-Boat Show. They have 10 different brands of cars to check out and test drive. The will also be electric powered boats, and surfboards.
There will also be E-Bikes and carts on display. It’s not just about getting around, there will be vendors showing heating and cooling units for your home.
And don’t mind those people over there acting kind of goofy and tossing strings of beads around, they’re just celebrating Mardi Gras at the Port of Orillia. Like Christmas in June, this is a dress up affair, for the people and the boats. There are prizes for the Best Dressed Crew, Best Decorated Boat, and whoever collects the most beads.
Music at the Port will be provided by MAX FM 89.1’s Wilverine.
Then it’s off to the galleries. The Orillia Museum of Art and History has a big show opening at 1 p.m. Three exhibits are new: Pawtraits, items from the permanent collection with people and their pets; Jeanette Luchese has a solo show, The Process Informs Me: Contemporary Abstract Frescoes and Reflections Of Our Roots Orillia From 3,000 BCE To 2024.
Cloud Gallery opens a group show called The Great Big Summer Show opening at 2 p.m. It’s great and big because all the pieces are at least 36×36 inches is size.
Later in the afternoon, MarshMellow (Raune-lea Marshall and Deby Melillo) have an outdoor art show, Twilight Piazza, happening in the courtyard at Era 67 from 5 to 9 p.m. The other artists participating are Barbara Schmidt, Linda Gidora, MJ Pollak and Norman Robert Catchpole. Ian Chaplin will be playing music.
In the evening, it’s off to ODAS Park for the Hawaiian Glow Party fundraiser. Derick Lehmann is behind this and this time proceeds go to Green Haven Shelter for Women. Tickets for the 8 p.m. party are $20 in advance and you can also get them at Alleycats Music. You can also get tickets at the door.
Elsewhere you can enjoy music by Valerie Burns and Dave Chun at Couchiching Craft Brewing, or Jakob Pearce at Quayle’s Brewery, or The Band Excel at the Sunken Ship, or the Kempencelts at the Hog ‘N Penny
Sunday
This is also a jam-packed day, for your ears.
The Coulson Church Concert Series has the always entertaining Wendell Ferguson performing at 2 p.m. You can get tickets online.
It’s back to ODAS Park at 1 p.m. for a celebration of Chuck Swire’s life. He was the band leader of Rellikdog, and his buddies have organized a going away/send off with several bands playing. Making music are: Cooper James, Tangents, Demolition Rage, NoDevilliveDoN, The Hoax, Metalon, and Paupers Grave. It’s free to attend, but bring a non perishable food item for a donation to the Sharing Place Food Bank.
The Leacock Museum has Groovy Tuesday (a group of Grade 10 and 11 music students from Orillia Secondary School) playing their Sunday Serenade concert from 3 to 4 p.m. Bring a lawn chair.
The Sunday evening concert at the Aqua Theatre is with the Orillia Big Band at 6:30 p.m.
Madison Mueller will be making music at Couchiching Craft Brewing, Quayle’s has Patrick Hunter in, The Hog ‘N Penny’s Sunday afternoon Open Mic is with Sean Patrick and a cast of several, which may include Michael Martyn John MacDonald, Jessica Martin and of course you, Picnic has Emma Elena Grace in for the afternoon.
Scottish Festival
Finally back at Couchiching Beach Park, this year’s festival had a few surprises. First of all they had the pipe bands playing simultaneously in several locations around the park instead of just in the pub.
The pub was in a different location and it was bigger, which allowed the bands sufficient room to do their thing.
Of all the bands I saw, I was most impressed with the Barrie Pipes and Drums because, first of all they had 5 snare drummers, and second, they could really play. Of all the bands I’ve seen over the years, these folks were easily the best drum section to play the festival –they even did a solo in the middle of their set. Most times the drummers don’t get a solo, unless they are really good.
The band on the main stage for the afternoon, Fiddlestix, did mostly pop tunes, but with a Celtic twist.
So many vendors too. Quite a few more and more food vendors as well. The finale mass band had a twist. All the drummers played a solo written by the lead stick of the Barrie Pipes and Drums.
They were still down a few bands from pre-COVID, but I think once word gets out how great this year’s festival was they might be turning away bands next year.
We Named Her Molly Brown, Didn’t Do Any Good
Don’t forget the annual Cardboard Boat Race is happening August 11 at the Port of Orillia. As usual it’s part of the weekend Waterfront Festival (which also includes the Dock Diving competition for dogs at noon on August 10).
Teams must register and you can watch a tutorial by master cardboard boat builder Evan Devine (who never built a cardboard boat that didn’t sink) about how to make your floating masterpiece.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
