For as long as people have been planting and gathering food there has been some form of a Harvest Festival within different cultural groups around the world. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times. Harvest festivals typically feature feasting, both family and public, with foods that are drawn from crops that come to maturity around the time of the festival. China celebrates the Moon Festival between mid-September and mid-October, “Obzhynky” is the Ukrainian Harvest Festival, which happens in mid August, and Germany’s Oktoberfest is held on the first Sunday in October. Green Corn Festival or Ceremony is a Native American harvest celebration. Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Yuchi, and Iroquois as well as other Native American tribes celebrate this ceremony. This ceremony is usually held when there is a full moon, which
meant the first corn crop was ready to harvest. The date was not able to be determined ahead of time; it was up to the corn.
meant the first corn crop was ready to harvest. The date was not able to be determined ahead of time; it was up to the corn.
The Under the Harvest Moon Heritage Community Festival presented by the Bank of America is an outdoor event centered around the community’s Art Park on 11th & Halifax. The focus of the Festival is celebrating cultures signicificant to Heritage and the interconnectedness of all to earth’s bounty. We invite everyone to come out and watch free performances and participate in free workshops throughout the day. There will be food vendors on site. We ask that everyone bring his or her own chairs or blankets to sit on while enjoying the day’s entertainment.
The Festival will kick off with a beet pickle canning workshop at the Heritage
Community Association’s office at 9:00 a.m. Please register for this workshop by September 20 by calling 757-9952 or emailing heritagecommunity@sasktel. net.
The Opening Ceremonies will include “Breaking Bread with our Neighbours.” Following the ceremonies, you can enjoy a warm bowl of “Stone Soup” while listening to the Mandolin Orchestra or interacting with one of the Queen City Caring Clowns.
The Chimatawa Dance Troupe will perform a traditional, fancy, jingle, grass dance, and hip hop. The Indian Métis Christian Fellowship Family Youth Program runs the Chimatawa Dance Troupe. They have a strong focus on respect for the Triune Creator and all the names of God, respect for other people’s needs and safety, respect themselves with decent language and clean behaviour, and respect for creation including Indian Métis Christian Fellowship property.
Fidji Gendron and Sarah Vinge will be doing a workshop in the Heritage Com-
munity Association office about Native Plant Gardening. Following the workshop, they will take the group on a tour of the Art Park which houses native species.
munity Association office about Native Plant Gardening. Following the workshop, they will take the group on a tour of the Art Park which houses native species.
K.G. Harmonie German Dance group will perform Bavarian style dances. Local folk dances in Germany have followed the folk dancing pattern in most of Europe, vigorous rather than lyrical and generally based on circles or lines. The groups performing are the Little Sparklers, Junior Sparklers, Sparklers and Heart of the Harmonie.
Crystal Stewart from Twisted Creations will be making art pieces -twisting bal-
loons- at the Festival from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
loons- at the Festival from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Through the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle tin can art project , children will create the tin can lanterns that will light the area for the closing ceremonies.
Ray Bell & Tahnis Cunningham, Heritage residents, recently featured on CBC Radio, will perform musical selections in the afternoon.
Dale Delainey, a resident of the community,will do a guided tour highlighting significant sights and stories of the past and present.Heritage is one of the oldest communities in Regina, with a rich history and colourful mosaic of cultures that define it.
The Kolos Ukrainian Dance Ensemble was developed to educate everyone about Ukrainian culture through dance and music. The Kolos Performing Ensemble is a talented and exuberant group of dancers. They are well known locally, provincially, nationally and internationally for their unique style and originality. The group has been an important member of the Regina cultural and arts community and has performed at hundreds of venues.
Adam Smith is a local artist from the Heritage Community, he will be playing guitar and rapping with a bit of beat boxing.
The City of Regina is hosting a composting workshop. Come out and learn more about this earth friendly practice and how you can start composting at your home or make use of the bins available in the Heritage Community.
A kid’s Mini Trek will start at the Heritage Community Association office; this event will have the same scavenger hunt format as the successful Trek to Tomorrow fundraiser put on by the Heritage Community Association in May. Prizes will be awarded to participants of the Mini Trek.
Join Jayne Clendening, a certified Laughter Yoga coach, for a session that will include laughter exercises to connect people of all ages and abilities. Not only does it improve self-esteem and communication skills, laughter improves heart health, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, aids in learning, and much more.
The New Dance Horizon Pelican Project is an ongoing series of creative workshops that explore the magic of art, nature and myth through sound, movement, text and visuals. The dancers will teach the audience hip-hop moves and end with a procession through the Art Park. This performance is geared towards youth but can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone!
Lee Maracle is a Native Canadian writer whose work is unparalleled in its creativity and scope. Through novels, poetry, drama, performance art and storytelling, she exposes and explores the experience of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Her work re-imagines centuries-old myth and tradition for future generations, and reflects her antipathy toward sexism, racism and white cultural domination.
T.A.L.ENT. (The Aboriginal Lounge Entertainment) highlights Aboriginal and local artists performing original acts in diverse art forms. Tessa Desnomie, Bill Cook, and John J Cook will give a musical performance at the Festival.
The Lion Dance is an ancient and integral part of the classic Kung Fu training, combining sport athleticism, music and traditional symbolism. All lions are auspicious, bringing good luck and blessings from heaven. Their special colour symbolisms include benevolence, courage, justice, compassion, good fortune, and so on, as well as point to their countenance and fortitude.
Terrence Littletent, a world champion hoop dancer, comes from Kawacatoose First Nation but is currently a resident of the Heritage Community. Terrence will be accompanied by dancers and drummers. Originally, the Hoop Dance was performed by medicine men and spiritual leaders as medicinal and/or visionary dances. Visions were seen through the hoops to cure ailments or see the future.
The Regina Plains Museum will be open 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. There are two exhibits on display. “Sitting Pretty” which is the history of the toilet from chamber pots to privies to sparkling porcelain. Visitors are encouraged to bring packaged toilet paper which will be donated to the Regina Food Bank to help “wipe out poverty”. They also have a permanent display that is relevant to the Heritage Community. Germantown is an exhibit that looks at the distinct working-class neighbourhood in Central Regina that emerged in the early 1900’s.
The Regina Public Library will have a puppet show at 2:00 pm. During the Chinese Moon Festival families get together to view the full moon, a symbol of luck, harmony and abundance. Adults will eat many different varieties of moon cakes with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea. Along with the moon cakes, children have parades with lanterns and puppet shows. In this tradition, come out to Central Children’s Library as they host this special family friendly puppet show to celebrate the Under the Harvest Moon Festival.
The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society (SGS) will be open throughout the day for visitors. The SGS is a volunteer provincial heritage organization whose purpose is to promote and develop the study, research, and preservation of genealogy and family history.
Art Park location
11:00 AM Opening Ceremonies
Mandolin Orchestra
11:30 AM Free Stone Soup Lunch 11:30-12:30
12:00 PM German Dancing
1:00 PM Chimatawa Dance Troupe
2:00 PM Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Tin Can Craft
2:30 PM Ray Bell & Tahnis Cunningham
3:00 PM Ukrainian Dancers
3:30 PM Adam Smith Musical Performance
4:30 PM Laughter Yoga
5:00 PM New Dance Horizon-Pelican Project
6:00 PM Lee Maracle
7:00 PM Bill Cook, John Cook & Tessa Desnomie
8:00 PM Canadian Hung Kuen Kung Fu School Lion Dance
Sunset Terrence Littletent
Old No. 1 Firehall location
9:00 AM Canning workshop (1 hour)
10:00 AM Canning workshop (1 hour)
1:00 PM Native plant workshop (1 hour)
2:30 PM Walking tour (1 1/2 hours)
3:30 PM Composting workshop (1 hour)
Kids Mini Trek (1 hour)
Photo exhibition: “Culture, Heritage & Urban Art” on display in the Firehall throughout the day. The Heritage Community Association office will remain open until festivities have closed for the day. Washrooms are on site.
In case of inclement weather, the event moves indoors to the Core-Ritchie Neighbourhood
Centre, 445 14th Ave.
Thank you to our sponsors & supporters including:
Title sponsor~ Bank of America
Canada Council for the Arts
Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild
Affinity Credit Union
SaskTel
City of Regina
Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan
SaskCulture
Saskatchewan Lotteries
New Dance Horizons
Saskatchewan Genealogical Society
Rouge-gorge
Regina Public Library
Regina Plains Museum
Regina Inn Hotel and Conference Centre
And to all cultural groups, performers and volunteers!
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