It isn’t a festival of creativity and culture until you can roll up your sleeves and express your artistic side and a few local businesses and institutions are holding space for you to get artistic during Holiday Alley.
There are more chances than ever to get creative from Nov 16 to 19 in Selkirk with workshops on wreath making, snowflake beading, metal bending ornaments, and silly hat making – for all ages and talents.
“Holiday Alley is all about letting that inner artist have some fun,” said Holiday Alley Co-Founder Shirley Muir.
New on the four-day festival program is Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) which is hosting adult crafts on its Interlake Campus in Selkirk.
“Building and growing strong community partnerships at our regional campuses across Manitoba is a key priority for RRC Polytech,” said Steve Lawrence, Acting Dean, of RRC Polytech School of Continuing Education.
“Holiday Alley is an excellent opportunity to bring our community together and we are opening up our campus on Sunday to host Crafternoons on Campus for wreath making or beading workshops, or just for a tour. Supporting and hosting community events at our busy campus right in the heart of Selkirk is a perfect way for us to share more about the opportunities for post-secondary education right here in the community, and we look forward to welcoming everyone on Campus for Holiday Alley.”
In addition, Geller’s Design, Build, Landscape is back for the second year sponsoring the Kids Crafternoon hosted at Aboriginal Headstart at 222 Manitoba Avenue where there will be silly hats, miniature tipis and holiday ornaments; and a collaborative community tapestry with St. Andrew’s Rectory or mural with the Interlake Arts Board.
Black Cat Wear Parts is sponsoring the second annual Beer & Bending led by Cloverdale Forge at The Merchant Hotel at Eveline St. and Manitoba Ave. Real blacksmiths teach you how to bend, shape, and stamp metal tree ornaments while sipping on a malty beverage at Manitoba’s oldest licensed bar. The first 50 participants will receive a free 5-ornament kit to bend and shape in their unique way. $20/kit for the 51st person and beyond. No registration is required.
And back by popular demand is Easel Wars hosted at the Gwen Fox Gallery, where you can sign up your friends or family to see who can spontaneously paint a subject – drawn from a hat – in a few minutes. Sign up in advance at simkoart1@gmail.com.
“The full program with all the other opportunities can be seen at holidayalley.ca but these are ones that promise to fill up soon, so don’t forget to register for the ones that need advance notice,” said Muir.
For more info or to register for the adult workshops visit: https://www.eventbrite.ca
Submitted by Holiday Alley
