COCHRANE - CreeFest is about to get a taste of talent as the winner of this year's Canada's Got Talent season is taking the stage.
The 21st annual CreeFest is set to take place from July 23 to 25 at the Tim Horton Events Centre in Cochrane.
Each year the event is hosted by a different Mushkegowuk community. This year it’s being hosted by Taykwa Tagamou Nation.
“It’s an opportunity to learn and gain awareness on the Cree culture and the different traditions. It's meant to just bring people together and bring the community together,” said Haley Cochrane, a member of the CreeFest Planning Committee.
The event will feature evening entertainment with a different artist performing each night. The headlining acts are Adrian Sutherland, Rebecca Strong and Nazareth while the supporting acts include Lawrence Martin, Vern Cheechoo, Spence Band, Relic Kings and CreeFest Got Talent.
“We have included regional Indigenous artists from the Cree community, such as Adrian Sutherland, the Relic Kings, Vern Cheechoo and Lawrence Martin,” Cochrane said. “Rebecca Strong, she is the most recent winner of Canada’s Got Talent.”
Strong will be one of the judges for CreeFest Got Talent.
“We’re leaving it open to whatever anyone's talent may be, whether it's artistic, if it's singing, if it's performance, we're willing to let everyone showcase everything,” Cochrane said.
“We also have another Indigenous showcase time in our schedule, where again, people can come and just share their performances and share what they have to offer with the communities.”
“It’s a free event open to the public. It’s not limited to members from each of these communities. We expect a lot of local attendees from Cochrane and the broader Timmins area.”
During the daytime, there will be various workshops and demonstrations taking place that showcase Cree culture and traditions, Cochrane said.
“For our workshops, we have a two-day hide tanning workshop. We have other kinds of more craft-type workshops, so there's going to be beaded keychains, medicine pouches, baby moccasins, adult moccasins, and ribbon skirt making. And then we also have tamarack geese making, wood carvings, and stained glass as well,” she said.
“Other things just to note would be for the elders and children. So, we do have kids activities and a kid zone planned for the event. And then for elders, there's going to be elders activities daily, as well as an elders rest and lounge area.”
The full schedule for the event will be released next week on the event’s Facebook page here.
Cochrane said the planning committee is still looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can reach out to Cochrane by email here.
