The 2019 Madawaska Valley Artisan Festival celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary on Saturday, July 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual event began as an initiative of the Madawaska Valley Arts Council in 1984. It was a two-day event held at the ski hill south of Barry’s Bay and included musical performances, arts and craft demonstrations, and workshops. Older Valley residents may recall that in 1991, MVAC partnered with the Barry’s Bay Railway Station Restoration Committee and donated a portion of the profit to the restoration fund. From then on, the festival has been held at the Railway Station Park. In recent years it has coincided with the annual Fish Fry at the Opeongo Seniors Centre nearby and has attracted a high number of visitors. (2018 Artisan Festival pictured above)
Stephanie Plebon, Recreation and Community Development Co-ordinator for Madawaska Valley Township, said this year’s event features many returning artisans as well as a line-up of musicians. The vendors include:
- Algonquin South Trading
- Aqua Rose
- Atelier Pierre De Lune
- Golden Lake Rustics
- Hollow Clayworks
- Hummingbird Weaving Studio
- Intarsia Wood Work
- Madawaska Metal Works
- Malu Wood Works
- Muskoka Kitchen Paddles
- Rustic Path Studio
- Serendipity
- The Wild Wood
- Valley Rustics
Musical performances scheduled:
- 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Dexter and Serena Sernoskie
- 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Kirk Harber
- 2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Jean Le Gendre
Ever-popular DB Kettle Corn will be on hand if you need a snack to tide you over until your Fish Fry lunch across the street at the Opeongo Seniors Centre.
