I hope you have your glow on as we head into the final weekend of July.
The Big Event’s Hawaiian Glow Party, raising money for Green Haven Shelter for Women, is this Saturday at ODAS Park and it’s definitely going to be a blast.
There will be tropical vibes, electrifying beats, music from the ’80s, ’90s and now, and, of course, lots of Hawaiian shirts. Lots of door prizes, too, thanks to Tiki Escapes Tropical Decor and Kahuna Surf Shop.
You can get tickets in advance at thebigevent.ca for $20, or at the door for $25. Come out, have a great time, and raise money for a great cause. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Saturday afternoon, the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) is having an opening reception for two new exhibitions, with quite different themes.
Pawtraits is running from July 27 to Sept. 21, and it’s all about Orillians of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and their pets, documented through some of OMAH’s permanent collection of photos and objects. Some of these items haven’t been on public view since 2000.
In conjunction with this exhibit, OMAH is collecting items for the local SPCA, including cat and dog toys, blankets and towels (new or gently used), martingale collars, brooms, dust pans, paper towels, kitten canned food and clay kitty litter (non-clumping). These items can be dropped off at OMAH for the duration of the exhibit.
The second new OMAH show opening Saturday is The Process Informs Me, Contemporary Abstract Frescoes by Jeanette Luchese, running from July 27 to Oct. 19. Luchese is an Italian-Canadian artist who lives in Barrie.
OMAH’s news release states: “She has the unique ability to create both stability and movement, areas of intense vibrancy versus areas of quiet and strong hard lines next to softer organic shapes. Her contemporary frescoes (the word fresco comes from the Italian adjective meaning fresh) harken back to her Italian heritage and the traditional Italian painting style of the Renaissance, while pushing forth to be innovative and contemporary. There will be 30 paintings in this exhibition.”
These should both be amazing exhibits, so check them out. The opening reception for these shows is this Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., with remarks at 1:30 p.m., at OMAH, 30 Peter St. S.
Also this Saturday, Sustainable Orillia presents its sixth annual Electric Vehicle and E-Boat Show, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Port of Orillia and Centennial Park. This will coincide with the port’s Mardi Gras party the same day.
A spokesperson from Sustainable Orillia said, “This event will spotlight the latest advancements in electric transportation. Attendees will enjoy free test drives of electric vehicles. Also on display will be e-boats, personal watercraft, and electric surfboards. Eight boat slips will be reserved for these innovative watercraft — all powered by electricity.”
This should be a fun and interesting day for everyone. Head on down to the port and check it all out.
Sunday, it’s another Concert in the Park at the Rotary Aqua Theatre, this one featuring the Orillia Big Band, with director Randy Hoover. The music is combined with a youth artisan market, so come down with some cash and be prepared to support these talented young people.
The market is running from 5 to 9 p.m., while the concert will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Speaking of youth, the Orillia Youth Centre is running a youth open mic this Friday at 5 p.m., also at the Rotary Aqua Theatre. Head on down to hear the next big thing in music.
Every Brilliant Thing, the second offering in the Orillia Opera House Summer Theatre series, starts this week and runs until Aug. 8. I gave the synopsis in my last column but forgot to mention the opera house is being transformed to a theatre in the round for this show, which should be amazing. Get your tickets now at orilliaoperahouse.ca for this great show.
Don’t forget the Orillia Public Library is hosting Family Movie Nights on Monday nights in the Programming Room all summer. This coming Monday, July 29, is Toy Story, and Aug. 12 is Muppets from Space. Bring your blankets and get cozy at this fun family event.
Also weekly in the summer, but Wednesdays at lunchtime, St. James’ Anglican Church is hosting its summer music series. July 31, it’s Orillia’s own Marshall Martin at the organ, and Aug. 7 it’s John and Susan Smith playing clarinet and Celtic harp. Bring your bag lunch and something for the donation box and enjoy the music at noon.
There will be live music at lots of places this weekend, but Couchiching Craft Brewing Co. is hosting Boomer Babies on Friday night and Madison Mueller on Saturday night.
Have a great weekend. The weather looks perfect for all these events, and a patio dinner Saturday night downtown as well.
If you have arts news, send it to [email protected] by Tuesday at noon to be included.
