THUNDER BAY – There will be a little bit of something for everyone to take part in over the next few weeks in Thunder Bay.
Ontario Culture Days, which runs until Oct. 13, officially kicked off on Friday night with the Arts & Culture Under the Lights event at Marina Park.
The evening featured a variety of musical and dancing performances in the Market Square parking lot, in addition to art displays and author/poet readings at the Baggage Building Arts Centre.
“It’s nice to give the public the opportunity to see everything that our community has to offer in terms of programming and opportunities,” said Brayden Cassidy, who is the assistant coordinator for cultural development and public art for the City of Thunder Bay.
“We feature a whole array of different artists, performers and community groups. It’s sort of a one-stop shop to see what we’ve got going on in our community and what’s happening here over the next three weeks.”
This marks the third year in a row that Thunder Bay is serving as one of the main hubs for Ontario Culture Days.
“We’re actually considered to be one of the marquee hubs for this year because of all of the programming that we have going on this year,” said Laurie Abthorpe, who is the coordinator for cultural development and public art for the City of Thunder Bay.
“From the social media campaigns that we’ve put out, the public’s reaction is just full of support and excitement to check out all the fun things we’ve got going on,” Cassidy added.
“I think Ontario Culture Days give the public a chance to see different things and also have a chance to participate in things that they might not get to do.”
This year’s activities range from a Hip Hop 101 seminar that’s taking place at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on Sept. 28, readings at the Thunder Bay Public Library, a behind the scenes tour of the Thunder Bay Museum and performances by the Cambrian Players and at Mangus Theatre.
There are free entries to most of the events, though there are a few that offer a pay what you may admission.
“This really boosts the community engagement when you see all of the amazing things our city offers,” Cassidy said. “These things are happening all year round, so someone can go ‘Hey, next month I can go to that and check it out again.’
“It’s also a great opportunity for organizations, artists, performers to get a bit of exposure and share what they do with with the community,” Abthorpe said.
“They put in a lot of effort and passion into putting these events on and we really hope that community come and interact with them.”
A complete schedule of events can be found on the City of Thunder Bay’s website and on the official Culture Days website.
