Caledon gears up for memorable 2025 Culture Days

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Caledon is set to celebrate Culture Days with a range of workshops, performances, and interactive experiences.

There will be more than 50 free events and activities that emphasize the creativity, diversity, and cultural vibe of our community.

“Culture Days is about more than entertainment; it's about celebrating the people, traditions, and creativity that make Caledon such a lively place to live,” said Mayor Annette Groves. “With over 50 free events, there's really something for everyone, whether you want to try an art workshop, visit a studio, or join a community celebration.”

Culture Days will run from September 19 to October 12.

In 2024, Caledon ranked in the top ten in all of Canada for Culture Days programming with Caledon Public Library's and other local organizations' participation. 

This year, the Town of Caledon was made an official Ontario Culture Days Provincial Festival Hub.

The festival begins with a community flag-raising ceremony at Town Hall on Thursday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m.

Festival highlights include three separate Saturdays, or weekends, of fun.

Saturday, September 27, marks the Caledon Creative Arts Festival, a full-day event featuring local artist-led workshops, live entertainment, an artisan market, and family-friendly activities.

Saturday, October 4, is Caledon CultureFest, a lively celebration of food, dance, music, and crafts that showcases the diverse cultures and traditions of Caledon.

Finally, on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5, the Caledon Studio Tours will take place, where participants can enjoy a self-guided tour through local artists' studios, offering a glimpse into their creative processes.

The Caledon Public Library (CPL) is set to hold numerous activities.

“At Caledon Public Library, we're proud to showcase such a wide array of programs during Culture Days,” states Laura Groe, Manager of Programming & Outreach. “From hands-on workshops and author talks to family-friendly events, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate creativity, connect with our community, and highlight the diverse talents that make Caledon such a vibrant place to live.”

During the Caledon Studio Tour, CPL will host Artful Caledon artists at the Albion Bolton and Caledon East branches.

“Artful Caledon is a CPL initiative that supports local artists, authors, musicians, and creative studios by providing platforms to showcase their work, fostering artistic expression, and promoting arts and culture within the Caledon community. It operates both in-person through library branches, which host art displays and events, and virtually through a dedicated website featuring local creatives and their work,” shared CPL.

Colleen Lipp, CEO and Chief Librarian, shared that CPL's participation in Culture Days is a natural reflection of their vision to fuel an informed, inspired, and connected community.

“It's a pleasure to partner with the Town of Caledon to bring these vibrant cultural experiences to life. This celebration of culture, in all its forms, perfectly aligns with the Library's year-round efforts to promote inclusivity and creativity and offer collections and programs that reflect and represent Caledon's diversity,” says Lipp.

Some of the various workshops they'll be hosting include making a Cricut paper wreath, sewing a bookmark, mosaic art, and more.

Local artists will also hold workshops for attendees.

Betty-Ann Reid, a certified Zentangle teacher, will run a Zentangle course.

The Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.

Reid shared that it's a form of meditative drawing that's also “designed for people who think that they aren't artists or who think that they can't draw.”

“If you can write your name you can create beautiful little works of art,” says Reid. “All the reasons that people have for thinking that they can't create something beautiful really go out the window and we teach them how to draw repetitive patterns.”

Reid discovered Zentangle in 2013 and hasn't stopped since.

She participated in Caledon Culture Days last year, as she wants to share Zentangle with others.

“It's just really great to connect with people in our community and to have that accessible to everyone without cost. I think it's just a beautiful thing,” says Reid.

Caledon Culture Days will also feature numerous musical performances.

Mr. Jazz Duo is a father-son duo, Matthew and Richard, who play the tenor saxophone & jazz guitar/piano.

They performed at the inaugural Caledon Culture Days.

“It's actually been great for us because every year we can see how much it keeps improving and how much popularity keeps gaining,” says Matthew. “Every year it keeps getting bigger and better and they keep getting more entertainment.”

“You need stuff like this where you get the community out and involved and people generally seem to be having a pretty good time. So, if we can contribute to that in even our little way, it's fantastic.”

The duo will be paying homage to the American Songbook in their performance.

A majority of it is music from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, but Matthew adds that they always put their own twist on it.

“Just being part of it from the original always makes it a little more special because we can see it grow and we were glad that we were part of the inaugural,” he says.

“The Town of Caledon does an excellent job, not just with Culture Days, but with all their events,” says Matthew. “They seem to really try to make an effort to do these community events, to support live music and to support the arts.”

Isabella Morency is a singer/songwriter with over a decade of performing experience. She has been singing since she was 16, and shared that she always looks forward to performing in Caledon.

“I absolutely love performing in Caledon because the community is so amazing, I'm very excited to be performing this year,” says Morency.

She shared that even since she first began performing, Caledon has been highly supportive of the arts.

Morency will be singing, accompanied by her ukulele.

She also performed at the first festival and looks forward to returning this year.

“It's such a beautiful way to celebrate one another's creativity and identity because it's such an amazing moment where we can all just come together as a community and showcase our talents and our hobbies and what we love to do and I just love being around people and connecting with one another,” says Morency. “I feel like we really miss that. Through COVID and through certain times in our lives, I think that coming together in person, celebrating and feeling each other's energies and good vibes is just so important.”

To view the full schedule for Caledon Culture Days visit https://culturedays.ca/en/hubs/5682ecd7-fa08-4634-a665-07fac5c8fcf8.