Here I am back from two weeks’ vacation, and just like that, we are at the last long weekend of summer. Despite it being our pandemic summer of 2020, I think Orillia and area have succeeded in making it a fun summer in a lot of ways. Hats off to everyone who has worked so hard, and been so creative, often with limited resources, to produce quality and fun programming all summer long.
The See You on the Patio events in downtown Orillia, each Friday and Saturday night, have really been stellar. There has been an amazing lineup of food, music, items for sale, and street animation on all the streets and it has really been a different and enjoyable way to enjoy the summer in downtown Orillia.
Friday nights have also been a wonderful opportunity to do some fundraising, and the With the Help of All My Friends fundraiser organized by Annette Hird and Shawn Cuppage has been very successful throughout its run. This Friday is the last Friday for this series of events, organized to raise money for a youth scholarship in the name of Jake Beers. Come out and see the HXME SWEET HXME Camaro, donate some money, buy some merch or raffle tickets, and support this wonderful grassroots campaign, started by Jake’s family, and taken under the wing of just about everyone in Orillia and area. This is what gives our town such heart and soul. Congratulations to everyone involved on such a successful campaign!
Lots of other fun things going on this Friday during patio time as well, including the last Art Walk of this year, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Peter Street Arts District. The street is closed to traffic, galleries will be open safely and there will be displays on the street as well. Come enjoy the ambience and support our local artists. I hear there will be some sweet treats for those who come out!
Down by Fashion Therapy from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, rumour has it that there will be a Somniatis pop-up, with some models from that incredible show, and possibly some body painting! Make sure to stroll by there and check it all out, as well as some incredible deals on good-quality ladies’ clothing for end of summer.
The Orillia Opera House’s (OOH) first show of the pandemic, the Norm Foster play, On a First Name Basis, wraps up on Friday as well. The show has had a very good run with audiences of 50 socially distanced people in the large Gordon Lightfoot Auditorium. It has given the OOH a taste of what is possible, and they are moving forward with more programming.
The Orillia International Film Festival is happening Thursday, Sept. 3 at 8:30 p.m. at the Sunset Drive-In on Line 4 in Oro-Medonte. The fest features two films, All About Who You Know (filmed in Orillia) and The F-Word (filmed in Toronto). These are two proudly Canadian rom-coms, and it will be a really fun date night out! For tickets, click here.
Travel by Sound: Aaron Davis in Concert plays virtually at the OOH on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Audience numbers will again be 50 people in the large auditorium, and this show is billed as a Virtual Concert and Adventure series. Click here to find out what it’s all about.
The Orillia Museum of Art and History’s online art auction is ongoing, with 20 new pieces of art made available every two weeks. Click here to check out all the awesome art, and put your bid in. All funds raised go to support the museum.
The Leacock Museum is running self-directed private tours. Click here to book yours today, while the gardens are still gorgeous! We have a gem in that beautiful place and are lucky to have it.
There is some live music happening these days, mostly on patios, including My Missing Piece at Tailwinds on Sunday at 6 p.m. and Jakob Pearce downtown Friday night, in addition to other musical acts downtown Friday and Saturday.
The Orillia Youth Centre presents Roots North Revisited on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Sunset Drive-In, on Line 4 in Oro-Medonte. Live acts include Hawksley Workman, Terra Lightfoot and The North River. The acts will be playing live and also seen on the big screen, while audience members are safely in their cars. This is a big fundraiser for the Orillia Youth Centre, so grab your tickets here now.
That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading and, as always, send your arts news to [email protected] by Tuesday at noon to be included.
