This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
Just a sec, I just have to finish this cheese, so it doesn’t bleed over to what I’m typing. It’s tempting to write something cliché and cheesy about the Pirate Party happening this weekend at the Port of Orillia, so let’s see if I can avoid it.
The fun starts Friday evening when all the reenactors start moving into Centennial Park and doing their reenacting stuff. We all think everything to do with pirates happens on water and while there isn’t a long line of pubs and taverns lining the waterfront, there still are things they did on land beyond burying treasure. Now there’s a silly idea. Think about it, if you had a chest of gold and jewels would you bury it somewhere and function on credit at the next port?
No, and here’s a balloon buster, most pirates were state sponsored. Remember how we all learned about Francis Drake in school? He was a pirate. Wait you say, he was a privateer. Well, that’s there same as how we call the guy demanding 20 bucks on a dark street a thief, and what Loblaws, or Rogers/Bell Telus do as business. One is independent and the others have the state behind them,
So what do Reenactors do, fight mainly. It’s more WWE than it is Golden Gloves; no one is supposed to get hurt. The objective is to portray what it might have been like back in the day. There will be fencing, tactical and artillery demonstrations at various times. In other words, fights will just break out.
There will be battles on the water. The boats will arrive at the Port at 5 p.m. Friday and do their battle demonstrations at 1 and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Ronnie Douglas Blues Band plays music at 7 p.m.
There will be an attack on Brewery Bay Saturday at 11 a.m. Probably because of some rumour about medals being on the property. We won’t tell them any real medals are made as needed and leave town as soon as they are awarded. The one at Old Stevie’s house is made of plaster and won’t fit in a pocket, but if they think otherwise let them have their fun.
The staff at the Leacock Museum have organized boat-building crafts and a treasure hunt for kids which will happen all day long.
The Downtown Orillia Management Board is joining the festivities this year. They have a number of things happening on Saturday. One is a treasure hunt. Another is a cannon toss contest, which happens at 11 a.m., noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
The merchants have a number of entertainers performing including Doctor Bonkers (for kids) a juggler – Kobbler Jay, Sean Patrick and Jessica Martin (noon), Daisy the Clown, as well as a costume contest (one for pets too).
Back to the Port. There is a costume contest starting at 2 p.m. The Rotary Club has the Walk the Plank super soaker at 2:30 p.m. demonstrations and battles at various times throughout the afternoon and the Fat Tony Band plays music at 8 p.m.
Sunday is a repeat, mostly of Saturday’s run of reenactments. The ‘sea’ battles happen at 2 p.m. and the off-site battle will switch to the Champlain Sailing Club at 11 a.m. The Orangemen will play music at 8 p.m.
About Last Weekend
The Rotary Downtown Classic and Custom Car Show recap and photos is here.
While I was at the Port of Orillia checking out Rival Queen playing some music for the Ports Saturday evening concert series it started to rain. Being the experienced weather watcher, I determined it wouldn’t last long and clear up. I was however concerned the timing, 6:30-ish would interfere with all the set up for Starry Night.
It turned out, by the time I got downtown, after a stop to Charles Pachter and Keith Lem’s Moose Factory gallery, the block west of West Street, and Peter and Mississaga Streets were full of displays of art.
One of the things I saw at Moose Factory was Charles’s plans for the next phase of development for his expanding development plan. He’s building another house and exhibition space at the corner of Western Avenue and Peter and is just waiting on the building permits to start. The exterior will resemble the look established with the existing buildings (he has a house on Elgin and one on Colborne). I made a comment to him the exterior of the new Fairfield Inn looks a lot like one of his designs; He gave me a, ‘can you believe it?,’ smirky look.
Then it was over to the block of Mississaga north of West Street. The street had several artists booths set up and all but the actual street was dry. Cloud Gallery had all their doors open and some new pieces hanging to replace ones sold from their Great Big Show group exhibit.
On to the Arts District. Peter Street was clogged with booths. And finally, after many years of saying what this show needs is a beer garden, they had one thanks to Provenance Wine Bar setting up some table son the street. OK, it was mostly wine, but they did have some beer too.
But first, I made sure to stop by everyone’s booths, dip into OMAH, check out the Phoenix Jazz Quartet playing in the courtyard (who graciously reprised Chuck Mangione’s Feels So Good). I didn’t go into any of the galleries, too many people already inside them, except for Will McGarvey’s Flywheel Studio above The Shadowbox.
I looked up while having a road pop and did not see any stars, but I was glad any rain held out until after closing and I think I had the best time of all the Starry Nights.
Do You Remember?
So many songs about September. The earliest I can remember is Bob Goulet’s Try To Remember. I know, half of you aren’t going to get that reference, yet it happened.
This September is going to be filled with live music, starting on the 14th With the Orillia Silver Band’s concert at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian. The centerpiece of the show filled with many great tunes is George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue as played by the band (arrangement by Neil Barlow) and their guest, pianist Kyung-A Lee.
If you saw their concert last fall, you know how good that was, if you didn’t, you missed one of the best concerts that has ever happened in Orillia. Parres Allen will also appear, as he did last fall, to sing some tunes.
I expect to get blown away with the performance. You can get tickets online.
The next weekend starts a binge of fundraising concerts for the Orillia Youth Centre.
September 20 and 21 three concerts will happen at Creative Nomad Studios, and The Griddle Pickers will play brunch at The Common Stove. The lineup of musicians at Creative Nomad includes The Griddle Pickers, Andrew Alli and Josh Small, Sammy (Sam Johnston) and her band, Bella Frances and the Ronnie Douglas Blues Band.
The following weekend Matchedash Parish and Roger Harvey will play St. Paul’s Centre on the 28th, and Roger along with Skye Wallace will be at the Youth Centre.
October 10 and 11 Lenny Lashley along with Nixon Boyd and Rebekah Hawker perform, and November Danny Michel and Steve Poltz play at Sr. Paul’s Centre.
That’s an ambitious slate to have to produce, but I’m sure the kids at the youth centre will appreciate you folks turning those into sellouts because with all the sponsors, Like Steve Orr and others, all the proceeds will go to youth programming. Get tickets online.
Tonight, Friday, the youth center is having an Open Mic at the Aqua Theatre from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Shorts
- I stumbled on a Roots North Music Festival Youtube page this week. A lot of it is short videos, but they do have an hour long video of performances for the 2021 festival and lengthy playlist from 2017.
- Registration for the 5th annual Trunk Or Treat Halloween fundraiser for the Orillia Youth Centre doesn’t open until next week, but you can get tickets online for your kids now. The date of the event is Saturday October 26 and it’s at ODAS Park.
- Arts Orillia has a new event happening in September called Future Fest. The marquee attraction is a lecture by Bob McDonald (Orillia Hall of Famer and host of the CBC’s Quirks and Quarks). They also have a dance program happening at the Opera House called Hard Wire. You can get tickets online.
- The Sharing Place Food Centre has their 2nd annual Harvest Hoedown happening Sept. 27 at ODAS Park. The band is Muskoka River. You can get tickets online.
- The Orillia Museum of Art and History has new exhibits to see Jeanette Luchese’s solo show, The Process Informs Me: Contemporary Abstract Frescoes; Stacey Tyrell’s Backra Bluid photography exhibit; Pawtraits and Reflections Of Our Roots Orillia From 3,000 BCE To 2024; OMAH’s walking tour, Gangs, Guns and Grog, happens every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. leaving from OMAH and ending at Couchiching Craft Brewing. There is a registration and ticket to get, but it does end at the bar and your first drink is included.… St. Paul’s Centre has the Call to Action 83 Art Project in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery… Hibernation Arts has new art by Patti Campbell this month … Peter Street Fine Arts has a collection of work by Renee van der Putten featured in August… Cloud Gallery still has their Great Big Show up.
- Couchiching Craft Brewing has Even Steven playing Aug. 30; Jakob Pearce and Dave Hewitt are in Aug. 31… Quayle’s Brewery has Genevive Cry playing Aug. 30; Gerald Levine (early) Kat Chabot (later) Aug. 31; Matt Playne (early) and Jess Bowman (later) Sept. 1… The Hog ‘N Penny has an Open Mic Sunday afternoons with Sean Patrick, Michael Martyn John MacDonald, Jessica Martin and whoever else shows up; James Gray is in Aug. 30… Charlotte and the Dirty Cowboys are at Fionn MacCool’s Aug. 30; The Off Cuts are in Sept. 1
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia) Main: Simcoe North MP Adam Chambers Walked the Plank at the 2023 Pirate Party
