Mission has jumped aboard the national Culture Days initiative, with a number of events taking place Sept 27-29.Culture Days is a collaborative movement to encourage awareness, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.
On Saturday, Sept. 28, check out the exhibit Baskets: Containers and Culture display presented by Ancestor Connections at 33201 Second Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Try your hand at basket making and listen to stories about basket makers. Bring your favourite one and share your story.
The Mission Historical Society will also be giving tours of the new mural.
Stop by Fraser Valley Academy of Dane on the same day and get a behind the scenes look at a dance class from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. or enjoy a rehearsal performance of the Nutcracker from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m.
The building itself has a rich history.
The Mission Spinners and Weavers Guild will also be hosting an opening reception for Fibres on the Fraser at the Mission Arts Centre, 33529 First Ave., from 1 to 4 p.m.
On Sept. 29, celebrate BC Rivers Day with River Stories, Songs and Stewardship fro, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mission Spirit Square, Jack Poole Harbourside Park.
Sponsored by the Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition in partnership with the Mission Arts Council and Mission Adopt-A-Block, the event kicks off with a river clean-up from 11 a.m. to 1p.m.
There will be performances by the Serenata Singers, an eco-arts show, environmental speakers and information booths, artist demos and hands-on-arts opportunities.
Community members can take part in a spontaneous choir and learn to perform the chant Oolichan at the event. Those who want to take part in a rehearsal at the event at 12:30 p.m. should contact Deborah Handley at 604-556-1368 for more information.
The Rivers Day event culminates with the arrival of the Hope Mountain Centre, giant flotilla of canoes, kayaks, and powered rafts that have traveled 35 kilometres from Kilby to Mission. Along the way, they will visit the gravel bars, side channels, islands, and riparian forests that make this part of the Fraser so important to fish and wildlife. The flotilla will arrive between 3:30 and 4 p.m. and amass mid-river before they dock at Matsqui.
For more information on Culture Days visit www.culturedays.ca. For more info on events happening in Mission contact the Cultural Resources Commission at culture@mission.ca.