Art and the Environment
I’ve been looking forward to November for ages. As soon as I first heard about the special event that’s being planned for this month way back in June I thought it was a great fit for November, which may seem to some like an entire 30 days of the witching hour. As darkness descends on Fernie and we watch the snow flicker and fall, what better way to bring the light into our lives than with a lantern festival?
To celebrate the Arts Station’s 20th birthday, a truly unique and magical night has been planned. Join hundreds of fellow lantern bearers in carrying the flame along 2nd Avenue from the Arts Station to the Aquatic Centre in a parade of colour and lights. A giant bonfire will act as a beacon, welcoming the procession to the Aquatic Centre where there will be birthday cake and a choral performance from the Fernie Academy Choir. Then the fire starts flying in a stunning show of twirling and hooping from Kylie Rogers-Walker and Kathi Woodlock set to music and visuals from Large n’ Charge and Kona.
Kylie first saw fire twirling in her native New Zealand over ten years ago watching ‘angels’ perform, and has been honing her craft ever since. Three years ago I saw her perform at FernieFest and it’s easy to understand how quickly she got hooked. I’m glad she stuck around for a well overdue encore! If you’ve never seen fire twirling before, you’ll be amazed at the mesmerizing display of skill and dexterity. When she told me Kathi would be adding to the display with a flaming hoop and staff, the word ‘amazing’ came up a lot. “You just don’t want her to stop,” laughed Kylie. Certainly not until the fire goes out anyway! To round out the evening, fireworks will light up the night sky over downtown Fernie to mark the culmination of 20 years of creative programming from the Arts Station.
If you’d like to create your own masterpiece you can participate in lantern building jamborees on October 25, 26 and 27 and November 1-5 from 6-9pm, and on Sunday 7, 1-5pm at the Arts Station. Paper lanterns will be created in all shapes, sizes and colours- all materials will be provided. Create your own small star, cone or box, or team up on a bigger project. The ‘Art on Fire’ Lantern Festival is on November 20 and has been made possible through the City of Fernie’s resort strategy development program and the tax transfer system. The evening will begin with a short additional lantern building session at 6pm followed by judging at 7pm and the parade to leave from the Arts Station shortly after. Events at the Aquatic Centre will begin just before 8pm.
While we hope that the weather will co-operate for the Lantern Festival, there’s no denying that November can be a difficult time to get outdoors; the weather and conditions can go from magically calm snowfalls to unpredictable or even downright dangerous in just a few hours. Few people know this better than Fernie’s own intrepid explorer, Bernice Notenboom. Following treks to the North, South and Cold Poles, Bernice found yet more extremes to explore on Everest. Her documentary Himalaya Alert searches out the views of local people and records the concrete physical changes actually occurring at high altitude.
Himalaya Alert will be screened at the Vogue Theatre on November 8 at 7pm, followed by a reception. Hosted by the Fernie Mountain Film Festival, the event will help to raise funds to provide a free film school event in June 2011 for local adults and youth.
November wouldn’t be complete without the FAST ski swap at the Community Centre. Proceeds from the event support the programs and athletes of the Fernie Alpine Ski Team, many of whom go on to represent Fernie and Canada at National and International levels. The ski swap is on Saturday, November 13 from 10-3 and drop-offs of new and used ski and snowboarding equipment should be made on Friday evening. Dozens of volunteers are required to make this event possible, if you can spare a few hours please register at www. Ferniealpineskiteam.ca. Keep the evening of the ski swap free, as there will be a special fundraising film presentation of The Way I See It and Cheap Ski Movie. Screenings begin at 7pm or 9pm at the Community Centre.
For more events this November visit the Events Calendar. Want your event featured in the next edition of the Fernie Fix? Email Rebecca at albamerlot@yahoo.co.uk.
