Heritage_fest_08-06

Jeff Green | Feb 14, 2008

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Many will remember the the heritage quilt exhibit at last years festival, hosted by Pamela Giroux

Visitors from around the corner and around the region will find cold snow and warm-hearted people when they come to the second annual Frontenac Heritage Festival, which takes place in locations throughout Central Frontenac between February 16 and 24.

The cold snow is certainly welcome at the first event of the festival, a Snow Rodeo on Saturday February 16 at Sharbot Lake High School, which is sponsored by the Safe and Sober Alliance. The Alliance includes groups such as the OPP, KFL&A Public Health, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs and Frontenac ATV Club, MADD, the Frontenac Paramedics and others.

Activities will include an ATV Rally organized by the Frontenac ATV Club, and a Snowmobile Poker Run organized by the Snow Road Snowmobile Club. The public is welcome to visit the Snow Road Club, which will be hosting a breakfast from 8 to 11am, as well as an after-ride dinner.

A skills course is also planned. Adults and children 12 and over will have the opportunity to ride an appropriate sized machine on a course where they will learn safe riding skills and the need for proper safety training. Free rides will be offered on a 2-person Arctic Cat courtesy of L..D. Power Sports, and on Obie, the model train from CN. Other activities include a mock trail crash, fire extinguisher demo, ATV safety presentation, and an impaired reality on the trails activity. Indoor activities will include displays, video games, giveaways and door prizes.

Events for the whole family, with a focus on outdoor winter fun, will take place throughout the nine day festival.

There will be a snow sculpture competition. Build your creations at home and call Community Living at 613-279-3731 to register your entry. The deadline is Thursday Feb. 21 at 4:30pm and the judging will take place on Friday the 22nd .

On Sunday afternoon, February 17, the Tichborne rink will be the venue for skating, curling, and more. A free family movie, Snow Buddies, is showing at the Kennebec Hall on the holiday Monday, (February 18). On Saturday Feburary 23, there will be a pond hockey tournament at the Sharbot Lake beach and a cross country ski, (4km or 8km) starting at Marg’s Shoe Store.

Then on Sunday February 24 there will be a snow golf and soccer day in Arden at the community centre.

Heritage & History – Now & Then (Tuesday, February 19) is a celebration, over a potluck dinner with authors Lois Webster, Dave Dawson, Kaitlin Rainey, Megan Hughes, Lloyd Jones and Shirley Peruniak. They will present readings and historical talks as they share their knowledge with us throughout the evening.

The event includes the announcement and award presentation for the winners of the second annual photo contest, after a short slide show presentation of all the entries judged by members of the Land O`Lakes Artisans Guild.

So join us dressed in your finest vintage attire and you’ll be eligible for our “Best dressed in vintage” prize; or come as you are. Event starts at 4:30pm.

An opportunity for the community to meet and spend time with local painters and makers of fine craft, Land of Inspiration runs from Wednesday – February 20 until Sunday- February 24 (for hours see schedule of events).

It will include a formal gallery with one or two pieces per artist, a gift shop, a continuous slide show and some demonstrations, plus snacks and tables where everyone can just sit around and chat. The gala opening Wednesday evening from 6-9 promises to bring together most of the guild members and the community, but members will be dropping by throughout the weekend.

The Land o' Lakes Artisans Guild comprises about 30 professionals who, as members of the community of Canadian artists and artisans link the region into an illustrious lineage. They have chosen to settle in this area for the same reasons the Canadian Shield is the subject of so many now famous paintings. The guild has members who have been part of the revival of handmade functional objects that rose up a few decades ago. Come spend some time with them and their work.

Kitchen artifacts provided by Peter Bell from his personal archives, put together by local artist, designer and display expert Cheryl Matson make an excllent fit for the intimate setting of the lovingly restored Crow Lake schoolhouse. The kitchen hearth will be the centrepiece of the display, along with utensils and furniture that were common in the past but are exotic in the days of hyper electronic efficiency.

For example, check out the spinning wheel that will be part of the display. As Cheryl will explain, the wool goes from the spinning wheel onto two spindles, then it is respun to ply it. The wool is then taken off two spindles and put on to the swift. (See photo below). Lastly, you would thread the wool through the swift to produce a skein.

On Saturday, February 23, Crow Lake association members will bring the kitchen hearth to life. Ludwig Ratzinger will be cooking wild leek soup and baking pies from scratch and Lloyd Jones will will provide some readings about the history of our area from his published works “The Dammed Lakes” and “Living by the Chase” as people relax around the kitchen hearth after a fine meal.

From Friday through to Sunday check out the many displays including drums and rattles; weaving by hand; Railway Museum artifacts; antiques and demonstrations – from maple syrup’s historical & current processes to cheese making. There will also be displays of canoe paddles, local growers showing their products, basket making, a bow workshop and the Trappers Association display, any and all of which will be sure to educate and be fun to watch. A First Nations lunch will be available on Saturday, with corn soup, venison chili and bannock.

The Frontenac Heritage Festivcal celebrates the way people entertained themselves locally in the evenings way back when, and today as well.

Art Barker will be calling a Friday night square dance at the Land O Lakes Public School (7:00 pm).

On Saturday, one of the Festival's highlight events, an old style Variety Show, will take place at the Sharbot Lake High School Cafetorium (7:00 pm). Hosted by Roger James, the show will include perfomances by

the Blue Skies Fiddle Orchestra, Hinchinbrooke Public School Percussion, the Limestone City Cloggers and the fabulous Tweed Twangers. (There is a $5 admission to this event – profits go to Sharbot Lake High School special programs)

The final event of the Festival will be a Kitchen Party at the Arden Legion on Sunday, starting at noon. It will feature Sherry & Betty Gibbs, Glen and Leona Foster, Ellis Wolvreys, Debbie Barkley. The party will be folowed by the festival closing ceremonies at 3:30 and an open mike session at 4:00.