If you thought things were slowing down in the Sunshine City ... they’re not! Tons to see and do this week and weekend, so let’s get at it.
There are a couple of art show openings this weekend, including Patti Agapi’s solo show, opening at Lee Contemporary Art, upstairs at 5 Peter St. S., this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. Come see Patti’s mixed media and paint pieces until Aug. 31.
Also opening this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., Lise Rowlandson’s painting show at Hibernation Arts, 7 Peter St. S. This show is on the sofa wall, while a Starry Night preview show will be on the alcove wall, until the end of August.
Orillia Museum of Art and History (OMAH) is having a couple of big events this week, starting with its 20th birthday party, Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. OMAH wants to thank you for making it the successful cultural hub it is, so come by, enjoy some cake and share some birthday wishes and fun. And it’s all free! Also on Friday, at 1:30 p.m., have a tour of the exhibits, free with admission, with a knowledgeable guide.
Saturday, to celebrate antiques month at OMAH, Julie Riches of Riches Appraisals & Consult (International Society of Appraisers), will be at OMAH from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to evaluate your small treasures and heirlooms. You can pre-register and pay $15 for one item, $40 for three items or drop in and pay $20 for one item, $50 for three items.
Speaking of art, save the date for Starry Night, this year being held on Aug. 24. If you are new in town, this evening is Orillia’s premiere art event of the year, held on a Saturday night in late August, from 7 to 11 p.m. Streets downtown are closed and galleries and cafes are open and filled with all the art the multi-talented artists here in town have to offer, along with live music and a chance to meet the artists. You can pick up your Starry Night maps in galleries throughout downtown, or online here.
One last note on fine arts this weekend. If you want to hit the beach and park instead of downtown, you can still see fine art there! Art Under the Pavilion is in the pavilion near the beach Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday all day, as part of the Waterfront Festival this weekend. Check out the boats and check out the art, all at the same time.
Moving on to performing arts, a couple of huge local events this weekend. Boots and Hearts returns for a seventh summer to Burl’s Creek Event Grounds, and is the largest country music festival in North America. This year’s lineup includes Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Cole Swindell, Kane Brown, and Kip Moore. More information? Visit the website.
Another massive event this weekend is the Coldwater Steampunk Festival, proudly taking place in Coldwater. This year is the 9th annual, and the theme is diversity. This really is the little festival that could, put together by talented and passionate volunteers, and a festival that really put Coldwater on the map, attracting up to 8,000 people to the tiny village by the river.
Friday will be Transfigured Friday, an ode to Harry Potter, while Saturday will be offered up to all things steampunk, including escape rooms, horse and buggy rides, music, creativity workshops, and, of course, costumes galore. For all the details, check out their website.
At the Orillia Opera House (OOH), Duck Soup Productions, a youth theatre group with actors ages 9 to 25, presents the musical Annie on Tuesdays, Aug.13, 20 and 27, at 7 p.m. Having been to previous Duck Soup summer musicals, I can assure you this youth theatre group is top-notch and the performers very talented. There are great singing and dance numbers and the show is well worth the $20 plus box office fees admission price. Grab your tickets here.
Also at the Opera House, The Gentleman Clothier is in its last week of production, finishing this Friday.
The last offering of the OOH’s summer theatre will open, Bernard Slade’s Same Time, Next Year. This excellent play was made into a movie with Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn and was a hit rom com before there was even such a thing. I heartily recommend this play for the romantic in all of us. Tickets are $32 plus box office fees and you can get them by calling 705-326-8011 or clicking here. The show runs until Aug. 30.
Our local community theatre group, Mariposa Arts Theatre, is looking for people to help with their 2019-20 theatre season. If you love theatre and love community and love people, and have some organizational skills, MAT could use you! Please email [email protected] to find out how you can get involved.
Do we have opera in Orillia? We do now! Thanks to Orillia Centre for Arts and Culture, Women in Opera - Then and Now will be coming to the stage at St. Paul’s Centre on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.
This incredible evening is a Highlands Opera Society production, under the direction of Richard Margison and Valerie Kuinka and features incredible singing by Emma Bergin, Carole-Anne Roussel, Shadan Saul, and Sara Schabas. This is a don’t-miss evening of talent, so get your tickets now here.
And under now for something completely different, check out An Evening of Burlesque at the Geneva Event Centre, Aug. 10, doors at 8 p.m. Billed as a 'hilarious and risqué show of dancing, tittie tassels and crude comedy,' this show is for 19 and over. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and you can get them here.
The Geneva is also presenting Hells Bells, a fantastic ACDC tribute band, on Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 advance, $15 at the door, available online here.
One last note, before we get into the bar scene…local jewelry maker extraordinaire, Sarahannedipity, located at the bottom of Mississaga Street, is having a beach glass jewelry making workshop on Sunday at 4 p.m. Come learn from the best. Contact Sarahannedipity through their Facebook Page to register.
Now, music at the bars? More and more! Every Thursday, Jakob Pearce at Kensington’s, downtown Orillia. Thursday, TRIO at Fionn MacCool’s, Saturday Kristy Hagerman same place. At the Brownstone café, Thursday Don River, Friday Jamie Grant, Saturday Jeremy Brendan Day. At the Hog ‘n’ Penny, Friday Jazz Trio, Saturday Jakob Pearce. At the casino, at the Yardhouse, Friday Taylor Abram, Saturday Cardinal Street, and at the entertainment centre, Saturday Tesla.
Send me your arts and culture information, by Tuesdays at noon, to [email protected] and have an artful week!
