The elements meshed well for ARIEL's (the Arts Council in Elliot Lake) Winterfest Kickoff Friday evening with a large crowd attending the fundraising event.
One of the main draws of the evening, and at a children’s concert Saturday morning at the Collins Hall, was Liam Kearney. The professional musician who grew up in Elliot Lake returned home to put on the two performances and greet friends he grew up with. His music proved popular with Friday’s crowd and extremely popular with the many children attending the morning show Saturday.
It is the first fundraiser organized by ARIEL with the goal of establishing an art gallery in the soon-to-open art studio at the former film theatre building in downtown Elliot Lake. ARIEL managed a gallery at the former civic centre until it was shut down and demolished because of a roof cave-in in February 2019. It is looking to resume its managerial role for arts promotion and development in the city.
Another key ingredient of the fundraiser was a silent auction held Friday evening where some 70 businesses, organizations and individuals donated items that people could bid on. Although figures for how much the full fundraiser brought in are not yet available, ARIEL chair Prisca Campbell told Elliot Lake Today the auction alone raised $5,000.
She said ARIEL is thankful for all the, “very generous support from the Elliot Lake community.”
Those who purchased a $35 ticket were treated to a range of tasty tidbits at a charcuterie-style buffet table created by Christine Mackenzie of Special Occasions Catering.
Winterfest continues. An events calendar can be found on the Elliot Lake website.