Richard Froese
Alberta has a wealth of art, culture and history.
In fact, the province has so much of them that September is designated to celebrate the diversity of cultures.
Culture Days returns from Sept. 1-30 as an opportunity to discover, experience and celebrate arts and culture through local events and activities.
Local citizens have plenty to do according to a list of events posted on the website of Alberta Culture Days.
Falher celebrates the francophone culture of the Smoky River region Sept. 8-10 at the Centre Chevaliers and Falher Municipal Campground.
An old-fashioned country fair with a bench show and fun activities for all ages is set for High Prairie on Sept. 9 at the Legion Hall. Country agricultural fairs were big back in the day and the bench show was a big feature.
Fairs were held to allow people to show off the fresh produce grown in their garden. Many went to the fair to find out who made the best apple pie or other popular baked items.
The bench show also showcased art created by all ages.
Another popular rural and farm event is the annual Triangle Harvest Festival that returns Sept. 16. A full day of activities offers people an opportunity to experience what farm life and harvesting was like in the early decades of the 1900s before modern machinery and equipment.
Alberta has a long history of deep roots in the agricultural field. The number of family farms has declined in the past few decades as farms have grown and equipment and farming activities have become more advanced with technology.
Still, younger generation like to see how things on the farm were done back then and older farmers like to talk about the good old days where everyone in the family had their regular chores in the barn or in the field.
The Peace River Municipal Library and Art Gallery is the place to be with a three-week art show, along with children’s story time, art and cooking classes and dancing demonstrations. Collaborative Art Piece features local art from Sept. 9-30.
Other events are scheduled.
Sept. 9 activities include Ballerina Story Time, a Filipino cooking class and a children’s art class.
Sept. 16 includes an art workshop, Cultural Coffee Talk, a cultural cooking class and a Ukrainian dance demonstration.
Sept. 23 activities feature a cultural cooking class, a dreamcatcher workshop and a Highland dance demonstration.
Looking at the schedule of events and activities, it’s clear to see that local communities have a vast variety of cultures.
Local communities are made of Indigenous, French-Canadian, Ukrainian, Filipino, British and many other ethnic groups.
Celebrate the rich culture in local communities and around Alberta.