Festivals
Back 40 Folk Festival – 20th Anniversary
Date & Time: May 31st &
June 1st Noon - Dusk
Venue: Morden Park
The Back 40 Folk Festival is a well-established champion of "home-made music." It reflects the music-making energies that coloured the lives of Morden’s settlers and diverse cultural groups.
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Back 40 expands this year to two full days of programming. A "Young Performer's" stage, hosted by Juno award-winning James Keelaghan, gives a higher profile to the many gifted young singer/song-writers in our region. Featured artists joining Keelaghan at Back 40 include the Asham Stompers (a Metis folk-dance troupe), Johnny Cajun, In-cline-ation, the Doug & Jess Band, the Swiftys, Stew Clayton, Kerrie Woelke, Kayla Luky, On The Edge, Billy Joe Green, Chris Carmichael, The Sway, and Link & The Moustaches. Large shade trees provide a canopy for the art and food booths that surround the festival site and complement the musical smorg on stage. Tickets are $15.00 for a one day pass and $25.00 for a weekend pass. They will be available at Thornview Grocery and at the gate.
For more information visit www.back40folkfest.com
Chautauqua Celebration Festival
Date: September 26th – 28th, 2008
Time: Times to be published later.
Venue: Morden Recreation Centre
The Chautauqua Celebration is an entirely new festival, which begins Friday evening and continues through Saturday and Sunday. It aims to recapture the spirit of the Chautauquas that came to Morden in the early 1900s. The program includes an eclectic variety of music, dance, drama and speech arts. People are invited to come and go, choosing the Chautauqua Celebration activities that best suit their interests.
Play: There will be a 30-minute play, collectively created by members of the Poor Theatre Company and based on the work of Metis artist Natalie Rostad.
Lectures: Sarah Williams, a well known horticulturalist and historian, will speak on Manitoba’s Horticultural Pioneers.” A guest speaker representing the Canadian Legion will address “Spirit of Service” and a noted paleontologist will talk about “Paleo-Passion.”
Speeches: Winners of the Speech Arts section of the Festival of Arts will give presentations.
Music: Tom & Lori Neufeld will perform fossil songs commissioned by the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre. The musical line-up also will include winners of the 2008 Festival of Arts winners from the Loreena KcKennitt Composition Competition. The performance of local dancers will also add colour to the weekend celebration.
Exhibits: The Chautauqua Celebration will feature a number of exhibits including the “Guiding Spirits” Exhibit, the Chautauqua Spirit Heritage Quilt, Education Kits, and winners of the Rose Pictorial Competition.
For more information, contact: Cameron Friesen by phone at 822-1001 or by Email.
ROCK & FOSSIL FESTIVAL
Date: February 22nd, & 23rd, 2008
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Venue: Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre
Presented by CFDC, Mineral Society of Manitoba, and the Archeological Society of Manitoba Rock Club. Museum quality displays of fossils, lapidary, interesting rocks and minerals. Also providing an opportunity for the public to bring along their rocks and fossils to be positively identified by experts.
