Eden Mills has the Eden Mills Writer’s Festival, of course. And that’s a biggie. But well before that early September extravaganza of literature, the picturesque community will host another arts and culture biggie.
The Eden Mills Arts Festival is set to go this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 27-28. It’s about music and visual art, some of it interactive, all nestled in a deep Eramosa River valley, in a village noted for its beauty.
Eden Mills is under 15 minutes by car from downtown Guelph, and roughly 40 minutes from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
The visual arts component of the festival has some of the characteristics of a studio tour, showcasing the works of local artists. This is the 17th year of the festival, and in this odd year there will be an even 14 venues showing works by 32 artists and artisans.
The venues are all on or just off of York Street, the main drag, and within easy walking distance from each other.
Within those venues you will find the sunburst forest views of Janet Reid Wilson, the river scenes of Andrew Bloomfield, the up close blossoms of Isabella Marin, and the sweeping landscapes of Kim Johnston.
There will be hand-worked sculptural figures by Yana Hoffman, stained and fused glass by Gabriella Vegvari, the jewelry of Nadia von Windheim and Daria Love, decorative pottery by Trudy Priede, and photography by John McGill, to name a few.
Under the guiding hand of Juanita Johnstone, the interactive art component will invite visitors to participate in a public act of painting at the steps of the Eden Mills Community Hall.
The hall at 104 York Street will house the event Café where John Alac will provide classical guitar music, and Evan Little will fill the space with jazz piano.
The parking and outdoor gathering area of the hall will become a music venue throughout the two-day event. Adrian Raso’s Gypsy swing guitar, Celtic band The House of Good Cheer, singer-songwriter David Lum, Sing Me a River, and All Keyed Up will perform at various times throughout the weekend.
Proceeds from the annual event go toward the maintenance of the community hall, which has long been a community hub in the village.
Eden Mills was founded in 1842. The water power of the Eramosa River, which had two branches through the village, powered three mills in the early days. Many of the historic buildings from those times continue to lend the community its ageless charm, including the original three-storey general store and hotel. There are families living in Eden Mills that can trace their lineage in the village back six generations.
Eden Mills is noted for the community spirit that has built many local recreational facilities and cultural events, and for its goal to become a carbon neutral community. About 350 residents live in the village.
