If the chilly weather had participants huddling a little closer together or dancing a little faster at yesterday’s ArtsPark fair in Hintonburg, it only added to the friendly atmosphere in Parkdale Park.
The annual event, described by organizers as a “very urban village fair,” has since 2004 showcased the neighbourhood’s artistic and cultural wealth, as embodied by local artists, galleries and restaurants.
This year’s Mother’s Day extravaganza was full of local paintings, crafts, jewelry and food, all of which helped land Hintonburg on enRoute Magazine’s list of Canada’s top 10 emerging neighbourhoods in 2007.
Arc Poetry Magazine once again offered its “poetry factory” where for a loonie or toonie, real live wordsmiths would bang out poems on manual typewriters while you wait .
Beyond the main venue, a guided walking tour and a “gallery hop” between Hintonburg’s art hotspots spread the party through the neighbourhood.
Organizer Charles Reynolds estimated 1,500 people attended, While hotter ArtsPark days of years past have had attendees scrambling for the sunscreen, Reynolds said, “This year, it’s ‘Where’s the coffee?’”
