Celebrating heritage arts on St. Joseph Island

NEWS RELEASE
ALGOMATRAD
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Central Algoma – AlgomaTrad is excited to announce the Second Annual AlgomaTrad Fall Heritage Arts Festival, a celebration of heritage arts, traditional music and dance, and local food featuring concerts, heritage arts and traditional music and dance workshops, a Farm to Table Supper, and community dances. From 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6, workshops will take place at the AlgomaTrad Centre, 1249 F&G Line, St. Joseph Island in blacksmithing, weaving, fiber arts, green wood carving (Sloyd), wool skirting and needle felting, bookbinding, basketmaking, tin whistle, ukulele, dance calling, clawhammer banjo, knitting, and more. Information for all events, workshops, concerts, and dances can be found at www.algomatrad.ca.

The 2019 AlgomaTrad Fall Heritage Arts Festival, funded by the Government of Canada through a Building Communities through Arts and Heritage grant from Canadian Heritage, will kick off Thursday evening, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m., with the opening ceremony and a Kitchen Party Fiddle Fest, featuring local fiddlers Benoît Schryer Lefebvre, 2018 and 2019 winner of the Open Class Fiddle contest at Pembroke Fiddle and Stepdance Competition; Áine Schryer O’Gorman, winner of the 2019 18 and under contest at Pembroke; Sault Ste. Marie bluegrass fiddler Ron Schryer, Sault fiddler Sheldon Jaaskelainen of the Wild Turkeys, and other special guests TBA.

A Gala Concert on Friday, Oct. 4 will feature Canadian folk music award-winning songwriter and banjo player, Hannah Shira Naiman with legendary banjo player Arnie Naiman; multi-award-winning family group The O’Schraves (Benoit Schryer-Lefebvre, Zach Schryer-Lefebvre, Aine Schryer-O’Gorman, Julie Schryer, Pat O’Gorman); and local songwriting duo the Crossroad Magdalenes (Greg MacLachlan and Christina Foster).

On Saturday, Oct. 5, there will be a full day of heritage arts and music workshops, including children’s interactive concerts with one of Canada’s foremost children’s performers Kathy Reid-Naiman. A gourmet Farm to Table Dinner (by reservation only) will take place at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Beach Community Hall, followed by an AlgomaTrad Community Dance.

Workshop and concert programming will continue at the AlgomaTrad Centre on Sunday, Oct. 6, ending with a family dance in the afternoon. AlgomaTrad Centre will be open to the public at no charge on Sunday, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., to check out results of the workshops and join in the closing ceremonies.

All-inclusive pass, including all workshops, events, two lunches and, Farm to Table Dinner, is $150 Adults/$100 Students. Weekend Workshop Pass, which includes up to four workshops from Friday to Sunday plus two lunches is $110 Adult/$75 Student; Friday Concert tickets are $20 Adult/$10 student; Saturday evening Local Farm to Table Dinner tickets are $40 Adult/$25 Student/$12 Children 10 and under; Individual Heritage Arts Workshop fees are $30 Adult/$20 Student/$10 10 and under; individual music/dance/art workshop fees are $25 Adult/$15 Student/$10 10 and under; and Saturday and Sunday children/family concerts are $25/family. Thursday evening opening ceremony and Fiddle Fest, Saturday evening community dance (without Dinner), and Sunday afternoon open house and family dance are by donation. All-inclusive pass, weekend workshop pass, Farm to Table Dinner, individual workshops, and Friday concert tickets can be purchased online through www.algomatrad.ca.  

For registration information about heritage arts and music and dance workshops and festival volunteer opportunities, please call 705-257-6106 or 705-782-4311 or email at [email protected]. Concert tickets will also be available at the door unless sold out. Ticket info updates will be posted on the website and on Facebook “AlgomaTrad”. Schedules, workshop information, and instructor bios are available on-line at www.algomatrad.ca/2019/09/heritageartsfest-workshops/.

Unless otherwise stated, materials for workshops will be provided.

The 2nd Annual AlgomaTrad Fall Heritage Festival occurs on the same weekend as the annual St. Joseph Island Country Roads Open House which features many local artists, demos, farms and village shops. Registrants and artists will be taking in the Country Roads Tour Lunch on Sunday at the Richards Landing Old Town Hall, served up by the 4-H club. More info at www.sjicroh.wixsite.com/croh.

Featured Artists at the 2019 AlgomaTrad Fall Heritage ArtsFest are:

Hannah Shira Naiman (hannahshiranaiman.com) - Named “Traditional Singer of the Year” (2017) by the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Hannah Shira Naiman’s banjo-grounded songs dance the listener into the Appalachian mountains and eras back in time, drawing on her roots in Toronto’s ‘old time’ folk music community to share powerful tales of hope and loss. With a sound that’s been described as a cross between Gillian Welch and Sarah Harmer, Naiman crafts original songs that ring with influences of Ola Belle Reed, The Carter Family, American old-time, and traditional English ballads.

Arnie Naiman (arnienaiman.com) - is known for his clawhammer  and old time style 5-string banjo playing and his involvement in the Appalachian old time music scene. He has performed and recorded with Canadian musicians Chris Coole, The Banjo Special, Kathy Reid-Naiman (Ragged But Right), Old Time Banjo Festival - Rounder Records,The Albemarle Ramblers, Jim Childress, Erynn Marshall, and Hannah Shira Naiman. He currently performs with the Hannah Shira Naiman Band. Arnie was a nominee for 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards Instrumental Recording of the Year for My Lucky Stars, a collection of original banjo music.

Kathy Reid Naiman (kathyreidnaiman.com) - makes children’s music so accessible that some adults secretly confess to listening to it just for themselves. Her songs bring the comfort of tradition and the sweetness of nostalgia – as well as the thrill of novelty and innovation to young listeners, and their caregivers too. She has created 16 CDs of songs and fingerplays for very young children. Many of her recordings have been included in Newborn Literacy Kits distributed by Early Years Centres and Library Associations to families in many Canadian provinces in an effort to encourage parental involvement in early learning and literacy.

The O’Schraves (algomatrad.ca/the-oschraves/) - award-winning family group with guitarist/cellist/vocalist Zach Lefebvre; fiddler/banjo player/vocalist Benoit Lefebvre (2018-19 winner of the Pembroke Open Fiddle contest), and fiddler/vocalist Áine Schryer O’Gorman (2019 winner of the Pembroke 18 and under Fiddle Contest), with pianist Julie Schryer and piper/Irish fluteplayer Pat O’Gorman;

The Crossroads Magdalenes (crossroadmagdalenes.weebly.com/) - are a country folk duo with a unique and impressive sound. Greg MacLachlan and Christina Foster met in Grade 7 and have been close friends ever since. Inspired by strong backgrounds in folk rock, country and blues they formed musical duo Crossroad Magdalenes in 2015. Their songwriting skills fuse to expound on their collective talent. Guitars in unique tunings support tight harmonies and combine to create a musical experience audiences won't forget.

Arts Workshops Leaders include: Blacksmith Denis Frechette, instructor at AlgomaTrad Camp 2017-19; basket maker Heather Pepper; weaver Sarah Buckley and wool felting artist, Dawn Allard, both featured as Sylvan Circle Tour artists; community arts artist Miranda Bouchard, facilitating workshops using naturally-dyed fabrics and textile techniques ; Matt Ceolin, bookbinding; Abe Zettek, green wood (Sloyd) carving. Bio information available at www.algomatrad.ca/2019/09/heritageartsfest.

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