Musicians, artists and performers took over the Bay Street and Algoma Street area this weekend.
Hundreds of people attended the inaugural Valley Fresh Buskers Festival in downtown Port Arthur. The weekend long event, which started on Saturday, offered onlookers a chance to see live performances, grab something to eat or purchase something at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery yard sale.
While looking at the sights many stopped and watched hula hooper Sheena Campbell as she went through her routines.
Campbell, who is from the Ottawa area, said she wanted to introduce the city to hula hooping as an art form. After three years of dancing with a hula-hoop, she said it’s catching on with people.
“It’s certainly popular with the kids,” Campbell said. “As they walk down the street they see me, they see my pile of hula hoops and they want to try. I learned it as an art. When I heard that the Buskers Festival was going to happen I was really excited. What a great way to introduce new forms of art, activities and performances to Thunder Bay in one little festival.”
Down the street from Campbell, Alan Moon drew a crowd as he created another clay pot. Moon started doing pottery full time in 1981 after a friend introduced him to it.
He said he believes the city has the best market per capital for pottery.
“For 34 years we have been demonstrating and explaining the excitement and how difficult (pottery) is,” he said. “People have gotten interested and are interested in clay and we sell a lot in this town. Most people have handmade pottery in their town. It’s because of things like today where people can come and watch and ask questions and we can pretend that it is magic.”
Brian Hamilton, spokesman for the event, said they hope that this year inspires local buskers to put on bigger shows. Hamilton wasn’t sure how many to expect at the event but hopes that they can expand the festival next year.
“When the construction was all done it was a natural fit to have the festival,” Hamilton said. “Anyone walking down this neighbourhood would see big extended sidewalks; it’s pedestrian friendly, lots of room for bicycles and lots of room for buskers.”
The festival runs until 8 p.m. Saturday and continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Buskers Ball at the Finlandia Club is on Saturday and starts at 9 p.m.
