Even though winter weather has been present for the past month, the season did not officially start until this weekend.
More than 300 people visited the Baggage Building Arts Centre on Sunday as they held their second annual Spark in the Park event to celebrate the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. “It’s a celebration of light and a celebration of the season,” said Lorraine Cull, one of the operators. “It’s the time of the year when people from all walks of life and all nationalities just come together and do things that are fun.”
Activities included a multitude of arts and crafts such as using recycled paper to create holiday decorations such as ornaments, bows and garland. There were also interactive exercises such as a shadow dance.
The event culminated with a parade of lanterns throughout Prince Arthur’s Landing to show the celebration of light.
Becky Otholt brought her son Wesley, 6, and daughter Ella, 2, after hearing positive feedback from prior events.
She was pleased with the different offerings for the children. “There’s lots for them to do,” Otholt said. “It’s a good family event for everyone.”
Outside an ice wall has been under construction since November, with plans for it to keep being built until the Family Day weekend in February.
Angie Jensen, one of the other operators of the facility, has spent nearly a month already on the project. “We’re going to keep working on this until Family Day and hopefully we can do an ice painting or ice etching into the wall,” Jensen said.
Having seasonal events such as the Spark in the Park, as well as their Spooktacular in Halloween, gives members of the public a reason to visit the centre.
It’s important to Jensen to foster creativity. “We didn’t want the Baggage Building Arts Centre to be just for tourism. We wanted the community to be able to come and use the building,” Jensen said. “We think it’s really important for that creative spirit, and It’s not just an arts centre, it’s a creative centre.”
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