This page was exported from Caledon Citizen [ https://caledoncitizen.com ] Export date:Tue May 26 6:03:08 2026 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: That’s a wrap: Reflections on a successful Culture Days program in Caledon --------------------------------------------------- By Riley Murphy Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After almost a month of activities, workshops, performances, festivals, and over 50 free events, Culture Days has come to a close in Caledon. Culture Days, which ran from September 19 to October 12, celebrated the people, traditions, and creativity in Caledon. Festival highlights included Caledon CultureFest, the Caledon Studio Tours, and the Caledon Creative Arts Festival. Judith D'Souza Soares, Commissioner of Community Services, says that this year's Creative Arts Festival was the fourth and largest yet. She shared that this year, a particular focus was placed on offering those who attended a broad variety of performances and workshops, with as many mediums and styles as possible.  Some of the favoured events, Soares says, included henna tattoos with artist Sufia Masud, on-the-spot caricature art, Caledon-inspired Paint-by-Numbers, pet-friendly crafts, and sunflower fall floral centrepieces. Artist Hope Flynn ran the Caledon-inspired Paint-by-Numbers. She shares the idea came from her previous experience hosting small paint-by-number workshops from Burlington to Toronto.  “Participants always enjoyed them, so I wanted to bring that same interactive experience to Caledon and create a fun way for families to connect through art,” says Flynn. For the paint-by-numbers, she drew inspiration from Downey's Farm, the Caledon Trailway Path, and the local wildlife and pets that inhabit the area.  “I wanted to capture the beauty of Caledon's nature and community spirit through my design,” she says. Flynn says the workshop was exciting and “full of energy.” “I was pleasantly surprised to see so many children eager to paint,” she says. “Everyone had a great time, and it was wonderful to see participants proudly finish their artwork.” Flynn says she thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Caledon Creative Arts Festival, where she met many creative people.  “It was inspiring to see how much the Caledon community values art. I would definitely love to participate again if I'm given the opportunity.” This year, Soares says the Creative Arts Festival organizers doubled the number of workshops from last year due to increased interest from both artists and attendees. They welcomed back several performers and workshop leaders, while also introducing many new activities. This included Scratchboard Art with Shelly Hawley-Yan, who was also an artist on the Caledon Studio Tour, a weaving workshop with Ebru Winegard, Foraged Ink Painting, and more. Soares says their performer stage welcomed back Isabella Morency, G.E.T. Outreachworks, Zor Bhalesar and celebrated three new performers, including Willow Saan, Burcin Yilmaz, and Mayada Bellydance. “Overall, we received great feedback from attendees on the free activities available, and that there was a great variety of both activities and workshops. Attendees really enjoyed the local performances on the stage, with quite a few of the performers engaging the crowd and getting them dancing,” says Soares. Following the Creative Arts Festival was Caledon CultureFest. Soares says that the Town is “committed to creating opportunities to learn about and celebrate cultures from around the world.” Their goal is “an inclusive, warm and welcoming Caledon, where everyone feels they belong.” The day featured a curated exhibit in collaboration with cultural community organizations, food samples from local restaurants that feature cultural cuisine, cultural dance and musical performances, a cultural photo booth, and a kids' play zone. “It was wonderful to see so many people come dressed in traditional cultural attire and all dancing and celebrating together,” says Soares. “Through public engagement at the event, we had people say they want ‘more of these' types of community events.” The Caledon Public Library (CPL) held numerous activities this year as part of Caledon's Culture Days, welcoming over 225 participants throughout the event. For example, CPL hosted two workshops to create glass and ceramic mosaics led by local artist MaryLou Hurley, who had just wrapped up an exhibit at the Caledon East Branch. “It was an opportunity for the community to learn art techniques with an established artist. Participants enjoyed learning about the history of mosaic art techniques from Italy until now while creating their own masterpieces,” says Jill Jambor, Manager of Communications and Cultural Development at CPL. CPL also hosted Story time with Fay and Fluffy from the Fabulous Show. It was a “fun and fabulous story time celebrating diversity and inclusion.” “Families enjoyed stories and songs with the amazing Fay and Fluffy, renowned performers who bring joy to every program and inspire children to grow up embracing themselves and others for who they are,” says Jambor. CPL also hosted its second-annual Open Mic at the Alton Branch to showcase local creatives reading poetry and performing spoken word. Lastly, as part of Caledon Studio Tours, CPL hosted nine artists at two of its branches for a weekend-long art studio tour. More than 150 people “had the opportunity to speak with artists, learn about their creative journey, share techniques, and appreciate a wide selection of art showcasing multiple mediums.” With record attendance, new artists, and overwhelming community enthusiasm, this year's Culture Days have set the bar high for years to come. --------------------------------------------------- Images: --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2025-10-16 12:11:27 Post date GMT: 2025-10-16 16:11:27 Post modified date: 2025-10-16 12:11:27 Post modified date GMT: 2025-10-16 16:11:27 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.com