Eva Antonel
June, the official kick off to summer
festival season in Windsor-Essex, begins with
Art in the Park, the first weekend of the
month and continues well into the fall. What's
not to like about a month that ushers in
countless opportunities to get out and
experience the best our county has to offer?
From food, wine and beer to music, history
and culture, not a weekend goes by without
the promise of something exciting happening
just around the corner.
For many of us, Carousel of the Nations,
a Windsor festival staple for the last 41 years,
brings together all of the many aspects of
celebration into one unique bundle. Not only
are we able to eat, drink, dance and fritter
away the long summer hours in the company
of friends, we're able to do all those things in
ethnically specific ways. Windsor, after all, is
one of the most diverse communities in
Canada and it seems fitting that we celebrate
all the different cultures that contribute to the
whole.
Beginning with Fusion Festival, a
representative sample of all that we can
expect in more depth during the following
two weekends, the second and third weeks of
the month allow us to delve into each
nationality's distinctly unique culture as
deeply or casually as our interest dictates.
According to Oxford dictionary, culture
pertains
to
"The
arts
and
other
manifestations
of
human intellectual achievement regarded
collectively." Most "Villages" participating in
Carousel of the Nations provide the visitor
with an opportunity to glimpse many of
those art forms through a display of artifacts,
historical recounting as well as samples of
visual and folk art produced by local
members sharing that ethnicity. However, the
highlight of every village usually centres on
the food, drink and entertainment available
to those curious enough to visit.
Where is it written that art must hang on
a wall or be displayed in a case? It isn't till
adulthood, that many of us come to
appreciate the unique flavour of the foods, the
beauty of the melodies and the rituals of our
particular roots and that of the roots of
others. If you've ever tried to make a samosa
or dance the hora, and you're not of Indian or
Middle Eastern descent, you know there's
more to it than following a set of instructions.
These endeavours are art forms in
themselves. Unlike visiting museums and art
galleries, participating in Carousel of the
Nations allows us to experience the art of a
culture with all five senses. Check out the
schedule of events and the locations of the
Villages in the link below. Venture out into
some unknown territory. You'll find we all
celebrate a little differently but in the end we
all like to eat, drink and be merry.
How do you support local artists?
Tweet us @TheHubWE #artmatters
June 2016 - The HUB 9