The Arcola Library happily hosted a celebration of the town's heritage with a day-long event on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Part of Culture Days held from Sept. 26 to 28, the Library focused on walking tours around town, pottery demonstrations, and interesting people in knitting and crocheting again through displays, demos, and a new fad, yarn bombing.
Knitting and crocheting were large parts of living on the prairies for many, which are both practices no longer being passed down to younger generations or rarely being passed down.
It was through the library that Shauna Daku, a library assistant, attended a workshop in Weyburn concerning yarn bombing. The library's summer program promoted these arts and it was thought to be a fun way to continue sharing.
"Phyllis [Cameron] opened the museum, Autumn Downey agreed to open her pottery studio, and of course Phyllis' cinnamon buns are a part of our culture here in Arcola too," Daku said referencing the pile of cinnamon buns on a table.
"We included a walking tour of heritage buildings along Main Street and buildings no longer here anymore like the flour mill or the brick factory."
A BBQ lunch was hosted at noon and many people filtered in throughout the day to see what the Arcola Library had planned.
At 2:30 p.m. the yarn bombing took place. Yarn bombing is where people either cover something in knitted or crocheted pieces or where a small figure is attached to something. A group traversed town to yarn bomb various areas in order to bring smiles to people's faces.
"I used to knit and crochet as a kid, but then life begins to get in the way, but you can always get back into it and this was something that got me back into it again," Daku explained.
Culture Days are part of a cross-Canada initiative to celebrate the cultural life of a community. This is the fifth year the government of Saskatchewan has officially created a weekend specifically for Culture Days in Saskatchewan.
"On the 40th anniversary of the first provincial Multicultural Act passed in Canada, it's important to remember that the quality of life we cherish in Saskatchewan is embedded in our provincial motto-'From Many Peoples Strength'," explained Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Mark Docherty. "The Government of Saskatchewan takes great pride in proclaiming Culture Days in Saskatchewan and celebrating our province's cultural diversity."
SaskCulture president, Pat Grayston, emphasizes the continued popularity of the event across the province: "Culture Days continues to grow in popularity each year. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the diversity of cultures here in Saskatchewan, whether it is through visiting an art gallery or artist studio, exploring different heritage sites, or sharing and learning the traditions, languages and performances of a particular culture. People are encouraged to give something new a try. It's a great way to get to know the various people that make up your community."
