By Kaylee Thompson
From August 3 –10, Burlington will be hosting Heritage Week, a week-long celebration of Burlington’s long history, from the 110 years ago that it became a town to the 50 years in which it has been a city. To celebrate Heritage Week, 35 representatives from different organizations and departments will come together to host a plethora of activities and events for the public to enjoy, from walking tours to a movie screening and creating art to a symphony performance in the park.
An opening ceremony will kick off the week, at Joseph Brant Museum on Saturday, August 3. The circa 1930s replica Brant house will host several special guests such as Town Crier David Vollick, Museums Burlington Director Kimberly Watson, and Indigenous spiritual healer White Eagle from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
A quartet from the Burlington Symphony Orchestra will perform at the opening ceremony, and light refreshments will be available. While no registration is required for this free event, capacity is limited to 50 people.
Following the opening ceremony, the Burlington Historical Society’s Alan Harrington will guide a walking tour, where participants will begin at the west end of Spencer Smith Park to the Beach Canal/Lighthouse. Throughout the walk, Harrington will regale participants with the unique history of both the area and the local community. Participants should keep the weather in mind and wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and caps; pre-registration is required, email hb@burlington.ca.
Joseph Brant Museum will also host a screening of The Eyes of Memory at 6 p.m. on Tues., Aug. 6. The movie, originally shot in 1973 on 16 mm film and since upgraded, showcases Burlington’s past. Enjoy this unique look into local history complete with popcorn and light refreshments; register at Museums of Burlington.
There are a range of events taking place over the course of the week, with something for everybody. There are several events suitable for children, such as the Moccasin Identifier Promenade Pathway Painting on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Children can paint the stencils of the different moccasin designs of a number of Indigenous cultures to spread understanding and knowledge of Indigenous diversity to the next generation. Pre-register for this activity at hb@burlington.ca.
Another family-friendly Heritage Week activity will take place at the Art Gallery of Burlington on Sat., Aug. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A local artist will host a drop-in art activity during the event to teach participants how to make thaumatropes, an optical illusion that is considered one of the oldest forms of animation. Families will learn and create at the same time, then explore the gallery’s current exhibits.
Anyone interested in cooking and making the best of local produce will want to check out the cooking demo with Affirm College of Culinary Arts that will take place at Centro Garden Farm Market on Sun., Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. They will be using fresh local fruits and vegetables to create amazing seasonal dishes to inspire home cooks; no pre-registration is required.
On Tues., Aug. 6 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., grab something to sit on and head down to the Central Park Band Shell to listen to the Burlington Symphony Orchestra; no registration is required. It’s a double dose of Burlington history, as the band shell itself is over 60 years old and the Burlington Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 51st birthday this year.
A number of guided walks will take place over the week, including another guided by Alan Harrington at LaSalle Park on Aug. 5 at 11 a.m.; a Burlington Heights walk hosted by the Royal Botanical Gardens (register at rbg.ca) on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m.; and two walks at Roseland Park on Aug. 8 — one focusing on urban forestry, and the other on the community itself, starting at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively (pre-register for both of these by emailing hb@burlington.ca); finally, a Cedar Springs Community Club and Area Historical Walk and Talk will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Sat., Aug. 10, where participants will learn about early settlers of the area. To register for this event and for more information, go to kilbridehistory.com.
This is just a sample of the events scheduled for the week; for the full schedule of activities, go to the city’s Heritage Week webpage (click here).
