River & Sky Music/Camping Festival has announced their workshops for this year’s festival, which takes place July 18-21 at Fishers’ Paradise along the Sturgeon River.
Many local crafters and community organizations will lead a variety of fun, interactive activities throughout the weekend, designed to keep festival-goers on their feet and using their hands.
Workshops encourage attendees to connect with their artistic side and to learn something new while exploring nature. Many of them are also kid-friendly.
“Workshops at River & Sky have been growing over the past couple of years,” said Peter Zwarich, River & Sky’s festival director, in a press release.
“It’s great to see people engaged in hands-on activities - it’s becoming a key component of our event. So learn how to make campfires, and slacklines, and canoe, and have a great time!”
Attendees can listen to their favourite music while participating in memorable workshops - live musical performances will be taking place at the same time! Workshops will be available at various times throughout each day to suit a variety of personal schedules.
“Not only is our music lineup amazing, but so too are our food vendors, our artisans, and our workshops!” said Melanie Alkins, River & Sky’s vendor co-ordinator. “Whether you want to relax by the beach with the family, take a yoga class, learn how to tie dye or get your groove on, there is something for everyone, ‘kids of all ages!’”
River & Sky is on its 11th year, and many of its workshops have had a focus on nature and sustainability throughout the years. The festival is the perfect place for crafters and organizations to showcase their talents while teaching new skills to eager attendees.
Some examples of River & Sky’s 2019 workshops:
Walking the Line: Slacklining 101: Come learn the secrets of walking the line with Spencer and Manon from ARC climbing.
Slow, Gentle, Flow Yoga: Bliss out and start your day off on the right note with Amrita.
Herbal Medicinal Walk: Join Miranda Martel as she teaches the secrets to identifying herbs in nature.
The Creative Process - Painting on the Shores of the Sturgeon River: Sturgeon Falls artist Alexandre Aimée will lead a collective creation
Astrological Wisdom: Join intuitive astrologer Alexandra as she teaches the foundations of astrology.
Simple Printmaking Techniques: Come and learn simple and beautiful printing techniques with local artist Haley Cassio.
Traditional Beading with Jayde Naponse from Ottawa.
Macrame and pendant making with Stephanie Skilling.
Embrace Your Weird - Stick Dulcimer Playing 101: Embrace your weird: be a dulcimer in a world full of guitars with luthier Marc-André Dubosq from Kapuskasing.
Kids NatuReal Fibre Art Activities: Come play with natural, recycled, and fibre arts materials with North Bay Artist Christine Charette
The Night Sky with North Bay Astronomy Club: Connect with astronomy gurus and learn about the wonders of the night sky with telescopes.
Super Fun Time Trivia with Koal and Kevin: Learn new swear words with hosts Koal and Kevin and win terrible prizes
Community Mural - Faces of River & Sky: Come join in a community creative process to help create this year’s River & Sky Master Piece!
Hoop & Groove Dance Party: Shannon Falconi from North Bay's Global Groove will teach easy-to-follow tricks that will be integrated into a fun, energetic dance routine!
Fire Starting Workshop: Meg and Jay will teach you the different techniques you can use to start a fire without matches.
Textiles, the Environment and You: Learn the difference between natural and synthetic textile materials and the environmental impact of the textile industry.
Crafty Knots Workshop: Learn how to tie monkey fist knots with rope and make your own dog toy or keychain.
Bike Maintenance 101: Come learn the basics of bike maintenance with Steph from the Wheelhouse.
VOX Choir Sesh with Compass Music Academy: Eric and Lindsay will teach the crowd how to sing the popular pop/rock song - Dreams by Fleetwood Mac in one hour including all three levels of harmonies.
Just Dance: Come down to the beach and learn some new dance moves with Kyla and Tara from North Bay’s Dance Expressions.
Creative Climate Circle: Work with natural arts materials with Sarah King Gold.
Printmaking: Come and learn simple and beautiful printing techniques with local artist Haley Cassio.
To find out about the workshop schedules, check out the festival's website.
