The City of Weyburn's Culture Days celebration was a success, drawing a fair turnout to a variety of events over the weekend. With this year's theme encouraging patrons to 'try something new', each year Culture Days allows members of the community to have hands-on experiences they may have never had, to try foods they may never have heard of before, and maybe even to see the world through fresh eyes.

Students from five elementary schools gathered on Friday to make a Parfleche Project (rawhide container), with more than 110 kids participating.

"So it was really educational for them, and they were able to talk to a Dakota Lakota Instructor from the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation, who instructed the workshop, and learn about the culture and the use of the parfleche project," said Alice Neufeld, Arts and Cultural Director for the City of Weyburn.

She noted the students were from Grades 4 to 6, but they also had a Grade 9 Aboriginal Studies class in attendance.

"We'd love to offer more and possibly in the future, we'll be able to expand to a two-day workshop for schools," she added.

Trying something new spilled over into Saturday when creative and cultural expression took over Knox Hall. From demonstrations and performances, to new food and art experiences, having it all in one place was truly a benefit to everyone there. It was also entirely drop-in, come-and-go, and free of charge for the around 350 people in attendance throughout the day.

"Our [pottery] wheel demonstration, people were really excited about having that there," Neufeld said. "There were always people looking at what we were doing at the different stations, always people looking around at everything that was there, and we were having positive comments by everybody."

Different types of entertainment, including the Cultural Vietnamese dancers, the Weyburn FilCan dancers, and Ocean Man First Nations drummers and dancers, kept the lively social feel throughout the day.

"People were really impressed and it just showcased what Weyburn has to offer," she expressed. "Some of the entertainers came from Estevan, as we partnered with the Southeast Newcomers, so it was really good."

Anyone could take in wood-carving and pottery wheel-throwing demonstrations, try Filipino, Mexican and Mediterranean foods, take part in t-shirt decorating, button-making, Ukranian egg-decorating, Mendhi henna tattooing, and even taking part in a 50-piece collaborative mural.

Neufeld said the fourth annual Culture Days Collaborative Mural was another popular part of the Saturday festivities.

"All 50 pieces were accounted for and people had a blast," said Neufeld. "We're just in the process of drying the pieces and it'll be put together. Eventually, it'll be here [at Signal Hill Arts Centre] hanging in one of our rooms."

For Culture Days, trying something new includes learning about other cultures.

"The Aboriginal component is very important," said Neufeld. "People are learning more about the past and trying to work with that reconciliation and collaboration with indigenous nations, and how to acknowledge all the harms and mistakes of the past and to show respect for that culture."

The City also offered free tours of the Soo Line Historical Museum on Saturday, and that evening, pre-registrants were able to take advantage of a 'Paint the Hill with Light' night photography workshop.

The action continued on Sunday at Signal Hill Arts Centre, with an Art Display and Reception for the Weyburn Artists Workshop and Hill Top Painters exhibit, "Nature's Bounty", and a hands-on clay project in the Pottery Studio.

"They had goodies there, and people were mingling," said Neufeld. "Up on the fourth floor was the Pinch Pot Project that the Weyburn Pottery Club put together, they had over 30 for sure, and that was really good for that particular event, considering the weather wasn't that good for people to come out."

She concluded the event an overall success in spite of inclement weather, and they've already booked the Knox Hall for next year's Culture Days celebrations.

Below are photos taken Saturday at Knox Hall (photos by Marna McManus and Krista Klemmer):