(Douglas Sutherland Art in the Park attendees enjoying the performers at the festival day filled with various artists, creators, vendors and talented youth. Photo: Barry Gray. Additional Photos: Mandy Hambly)
This year, the Douglas Sutherland Art in the Park event was held on June 4 at Village Square Park. Organized by the Stittsville Village Association volunteers Mandy Hambly and Denise Lee, with Glenda MacInnes and Lindsay Sutherland taking part – the event continued its annual tradition of creating a fun, family-friendly day while also promoting local artists and creators.
There were numerous vendors selling products at the event. Holmespun Ice Cream and Angry Dragonz were both very busy throughout the day with their tasty food and treats for all festival goers. Other participants included child vendor Elle Wild, who sold homemade scrunchies, Honeydrop Body Art, who spent the day providing face-painting services, as well additional vendors invited by The Market at the Barn.
“All of the vendors seem really nice, and they all seem very passionate about what they’re doing!” said Mattreya Moore, a high-school volunteer attending the event. “It’s a really great community, and I’m glad that we can do this every year.”
This year’s event also included the first annual Kids Talent Show. Over twenty acts performed with various talents including ballroom dancing, beatboxing, singing, violin, and even a mini Michael Jackson performance. Wray Lamb, Bill Martin, and MC Tommy Sultan all contributed greatly to the success of this show.
However, these kids were not the only talented residents attending Art in the Park. Aerial artists Olivia Carey and Christina Katan amazed the crowd with a three-part performance between 10:00 am and 11:30 AM, showcasing their incredible abilities in both strength and choreography.
As always, Art in the Park gave the community a reason to come together and celebrate the talented creators and artisans that make up Stittsville. Thank you to all of the organizers, vendors, performers, and volunteers for making the Douglas Sutherland Art in the Park a continued success in Stittsville, and special thanks to Luke from Stittsville Glass and Sign for updating the park banners and lending out his parking lot and restrooms for festival use.
See you next year!