In case there’s any doubt in your mind, this coming weekend is Father’s Day, one of the Hallmark Holidays the retail industry uses to fill in the gaps between Christmas and Easter. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a get-out-of-the-house activity that could very well appeal to the males in your family, you might want to consider the Glengarry Pioneer Museum’s fifth-annual Smith-In Blacksmith Festival on June 18th and 19th from 10 am to 4 pm.
Over one and a half dozen blacksmiths from near and far will gather in Dunvegan to share their skills with and showcase their work to fellow smiths and museum visitors. There will be demonstrations galore… oodles of hammer and anvil creations if you’re searching for one-of-a-kind gifts… and presentations in the one-room schoolhouse on the history of the village smithy and an overview of the basic techniques. There’ll even be an area where kids can bang away on safer materials or take part in a scavenger hunt. Adding to your enjoyment, the friendly volunteers from the Dunvegan Recreation Association will set up shop in the museum’s replica cheese factory and sell hot dogs (both plain and chilli dogs), snacks and assorted beverages.
The village blacksmith was one of the four pillars of rural life in the 19th century. And while the other three (the general store, the church and the school) played key roles, it was the blacksmith’s skills — from shoeing draught animals, forging and repairing tools and fashioning everyday household objects — that made life in the back woods possible. Next Saturday or Sunday wend your way to Dunvegan and see the museum’s smithy come to life. It’s a perfect Father’s Day outing. For more details, visit the museum’s website: glengarrypioneermuseum.ca
Hall gets facelift
If you haven’t been to the DRA Hall in a few years (and chances are with Covid, you haven’t), you’re in for a few surprises. The Dunvegan Recreation Association decided to put the downtime to good use and has made some significant upgrades. Firstly, the hall is now fully air-conditioned. While really a pre-Covid renovation, this was completed just prior to the shutdowns, so no one has really tried it out yet. Another major upgrade was replacing the soul-destroying fluorescent lighting with warm white, dimmable LED hanging fixtures that are much more in keeping with the age of the building. Next, the unsightly tangle of cables that had built up on the ceiling over the years was edited and hidden inside a cable raceway. The window curtains have also been deep-sixed and replaced with code-compliant chainless roller blinds that block the light, but also let the period window casings take centre stage when the blinds aren’t needed. Last, but not least, the whole interior is — as you read this — receiving a fresh coat of paint. So if you need a mid-sized venue with all the amenities (stage with theatrical lighting, sound system, washrooms, kitchen, accessibility ramp and a power-assisted front door) for your retirement, birthday or anniversary party, a celebration of life event, a recital or concert, or even a seminar, consider renting the DRA Hall.
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