Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your turkey is juicy and friends and family are plentiful. We are so lucky to live here and have what we have. Don’t ever take it for granted.
Normally, long weekends are pretty quiet, event-wise, but Kevin Gangloff of the Orillia Youth Centre just can’t say no when it comes to organizing fantastic concerts. He has another two-fer this week, featuring Lenny Lashley, who is a founding member of the Boston punk band, Darkbuster. He also fronted the country band Lenny and the Piss Poor Boys and now does solo work as Lenny Lashley’s Gang of One. Listen to his music here, I bet you will like it.
Supporting Lenny are locals Nixon Boyd, formerly of Hollerado, who moved up here a few years ago and runs a recording studio here now, and Rebekah Hawker, who recently played at Mariposa Folk Festival. These are going to be fantastic shows, on Thursday night at Creative Nomad Studios and Friday afternoon at the Youth Centre. For lots more information and tickets, go here. Guaranteed to be a great event!
The Images Studio Tour is happening this weekend, from Friday to Monday. This long-running juried studio tour is in its 41st year, and still going strong. There are approximately 30 professional artists participating this year in 20 stops. Artistic media includes woodworking, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, painting, and lots more.
For all the information on the Thanksgiving Images Studio Tour, including the map of stops and artists, go to the website here. The tour runs Oct. 11 to 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Thursday (Oct. 10), The Tartan Terrors play at the Orillia Opera House. If you love Celtic music, you will love them. Get your tickets at www.orilliaoperahouse.ca.
On Oct. 11, the Old Dance Hall Players are doing an improv comedy show, Candied Hams, at the Orillia Opera House. Feel like getting some laughs in before having Thanksgiving with creepy uncle Stu? This is the place and the event ... these guys deliver the laughs. Get your tickets here.
The Leacock Museum has a bunch of great events going on in October, especially if you like the spooky stuff. Monster, She Wrote, the latest exhibit about female horror writers throughout the century, is on now. There is also a children’s Halloween crafts and stories day on Oct. 20, and lots of Ghost Walks. Visit www.leacockmuseum.ca to find out more and purchase tickets!
Next weekend is where stuff gets real! A lot of amazing events happening all weekend. Good luck figuring out where you want to be ... I know I am having trouble.
On Friday, Oct. 18 The Cellar Singers present its fall concert, featuring The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. This will be absolutely beautiful. Former Orillian Lillian Brooks will be the soprano soloist, and you really won’t want to miss it. Promise. Tickets www.thecellarsingers.com.
Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m., the Orillia Concert Band and Orillia Big Band are teaming up for a concert to fight hunger, a fundraiser for The Sharing Place Food Centre. It’s at St. Paul’s and it’s going to be great. Tickets at www.orilliaconcertband.com or at the door.
Arts Orillia’s Jazz Festival has been honed down to one day, two concerts, on Oct. 19 at the Orillia Opera House. At 1 p.m., enjoy Brassworks and Autorickshaw (with former Orillian Dylan Bell), with special guests, some of Orillia’s most musical high school students. This will definitely be a great afternoon of all kinds of amazing music. You have to be there!
At 7:30 p.m., come back to the Opera House for Caity Gyorgy and the Thompson Egbo-Egbo Trio, with dance choreography by Vicki St. Denys. These are award-winning performers, with incredible musical stylings that you won’t want to miss. Tickets for both shows are at www.artsorillia.ca grab yours now!
Also Oct. 19, the Orillia and District Literacy Council (ODLC) is hosting a fundraiser, Blingo Night Out, in the Atrium at the brand new Hub at 250 West St. N.. The evening gets going at 6 p.m. and features a gala evening with emcee DJ Wilverine from 89.1 MAX FM, a "Blingo" mini-marketplace and prize-filled bingo game, a salon (Northern Roots) and clothing (Maurices) fashion show, fabulous food, and a silent auction. Come dressed in your most Blingy outfit!
Tickets are $100 and 100 per cent of the proceeds stay at the ODLC to support the community. You can grab your tickets here.
And, if you can believe, it, also Oct. 19, Live from the Met returns to the Galaxy Cinema in Orillia. This is your chance to see incredible opera live from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City…including backstage tours, and interviews with the stars. Oct. 19’s opera is the premiere of Tony Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori’s powerful new work Grounded. For lots more information and tickets, go here. The show starts at 1 p.m.
Quickly…
Wed. Oct. 16 tune in to the Orillia Museum of Art and History zoom history talks with John Smith talking about the Tudhope Carriage Company. Get your free link at www.orilliamuseum.org/10-24.
Mariposa Folk Festival tickets are on sale now. This is the cheapest they will be, at just under $200 for the adult full weekend pass. A great deal for a fantastic weekend. Get yours at www.mariposafolk.com.
Lightfoot Days is coming up the beginning of November and the tireless band of volunteers who organize it have been very hard at work. There is lots going on and it looks like a great festival. Check out all the action and the full schedule here, I will get more into it as we get closer to the date.
So much more going on, but that’s all the room I have. Have a great long weekend and if you have arts news, send it to [email protected] by Tuesday at noon to be included.
