It's been a hard winter for Orillia's art district on Peter Street South with the January fire and record snowfall in February.
So, shop owners are hosting the Equinox Art Hop on Saturday on Peter Street South from 1 to 4 p.m.
"We want to lighten things up and celebrate that it's officially spring," said Molly Farquharson, event organizer and owner of Hibernation Arts.
Brian Tosh, owner of Peter Street Fine Arts, is a realist oil painter.
"Especially with what we've been through at the corner, it would be nice to get people downtown on the weekend and experience the art in our galleries," he said.
Traffic on the street has been down since the fire because the barricades at the corner of Peter and Mississaga streets make it look like the street is closed, but it's not, Farquharson noted.
Hibernation Arts, The Shadow Box, DWN Craft Chocolatier, Peter Street Fine Arts, and the Orillia Museum of Art & History (OMAH) are among those taking part in the event. All the studios will be open and several artists will be on site to talk about their work.
OMAH has a gift shop with handcrafted items by local artists and historical books. Heritage in Hues: Orillia's Story Through Textiles is one of the current exhibits, on until April 8.
The Shadow Box features framed original artwork from many regional artists.
Peter Street Fine Arts features the work of 11 artists in photography, watercolour, acrylic, oil paintings, hand-turned wooden bowls, and lamps, all from local artists.
Farquharson is a fabric artist. Hibernation Arts has a lot of her work as well as jewelry and original paintings. She has been operating the gallery for seven years. Her studio was initially in the heritage building that burned down Jan. 21.
"Over the years, there were many artists that rented space in the burned building," said Farquharson.
Three Crows Speak's second-floor studio has smoke and water damage from the fire, but the owner got most of her art out of the building, said Farquharson.
Art hops are held a couple of times of year. Starry Night is held in August. Farquharson is already planning for that big event for the arts district.
"This is the official arts district and a lot of people don't know that," she said. "All these are local artists that do a wide variety of art, and their prices are not incredibly high. You can buy something here that somebody has made personally."
People make art from their heart, and showcasing their work provides important feedback and income, she added.
Anyone who buys something Saturday will have their name put in a draw for an art package.