Arts & Culture
On a per capita basis, the arts scene in Wakefield is bigger than New York, bigger than Paris! This little village of about a thousand people boasts 2 live music bars, about 7 or 8 concerts per week, a theatre company, several art galleries, and is home to dozens of budding artists and musicians. The local calendar is almost filled with annual festivals that get bigger and better every year - Dragonfest, the Piggyback Fringe Festival, Wakefest, the Artists in their Environment Tour, and the Harvest Festival are just a few of the events that are contributing to Wakefield's emerging reputation as a village of festivals. The scenery and mellow vibe of the Gatineau Hills have been inspiring artists to sing, dance and paint for decades!
Music
Venues
- Wakefield Mill Inn & Spa
- 60 Mill Road, Wakefield
- (819) 459-1838
- info@wakefieldmill.com
- www.wakefieldmill.com
- La Vallee Motel Restaurant
- 1418 Route 105, Chelsea
- (819) 827-0524
- lavalleemotel@qc.aibn.com
- www.lavalleemotel.com
- Black Sheep Inn
- 753 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3228
- Kaffé 1870
- 715 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3943
Theatre
- Theatre Wakefield
- c/o River Echo, 735 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- www.theatrewakefield.ca
- Community based theatre company delivering annual mainstage production, community fundraising, dramatic readings, theatre training, annual international film festival, listing of theatre events across Canada, and leadership on Arts and Economic Development in the Outaouais.
Film
- Movie night (Tuesdays at 7:30 pm) at the Black Sheep Inn
- 753 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3228
Literature
- Philip Cohen (Village Poet) & Glennis Cohen (Village Librarian)
- 515 Riverside Drive,Wakefield
- (819) 459-2747
- www.carleton.ca/~gcohen/vphome.htm
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- The Low Down to Hull and Back News
- 759 Riverside Road, Wakefield
- (819) 459-2222
- general@lowdownonline.com
- www.lowdownonline.com
- Required reading of the Gatineau Hills. The Low Down is an independent, feisty English weekly newspaper covering all things important in the local area.
- Solstice Books
- 721 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-2797
- info@solsticewakefield.ca
- www.solsticewakefield.ca
- In the heart of the Gatineau Hills, the one and only best little independent book and music store. We have books, music, children's toys, arts and crafts, magazines, cards, agendas, journals, a coffee bar (organic and fairly traded), great gifts, faxing, printing, hi speed internet access, and we specialize in special orders. For time spent on the dock or by the woodstove...
Community Venues
- Wakefield Public Library
- 20 Valley Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3266
- www.bibliowakefieldlibrary.ca
- Wakefield Recreation Centre
- 38 Valley Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3531
- Royal Canadian Legion Branch 214
- 27 Legion Road, Wakefield
- (819) 459-2913
- Rupert Community Centre
- 24 Shouldice Road, Rupert
- (819) 459-2488
Art Galleries
- Khewa Native Boutique
- 737 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-2112
- www.khewa.com
- Galerie Art de la Paix
- 815 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-1320
- www.artdelapaix.ca
- McKenzie Marcotte Gallery
- 26 Sully Road, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3164
- Galerie Old Chelsea
- 10 Scott Road, Old Chelsea
- (819) 827-4945
Festivals
- Piggyback Fringe
- c/o River Echo, 735 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-3670
- www.piggybackfringe.ca
- Second annual international theatre festival in partnership with the Ottawa Fringe and the HCW Steam Train. 2009 will see 15 artists in three venues on Wakefield's main street.
- June 28-30, 2009
- Harvest Festival
- c/o Khewa, 737 Riverside Drive, Wakefield
- (819) 459-2112
- www.khewa.com
- The Wakefield Harvest Festival takes place each autumn and is a celebration of food, the earth, the harvest season and Native Canadian culture.
- Autumn 2009
- Wakefest
- www.wakefest.blogspot.com
- Wakefest is an annual multi-disciplinary arts festival that celebrates music, literature, theatre, visual arts, film and more in the streets of Wakefield and numerous venues.
- August 27-30, 2009
- Artists in Their Environment
- CP 1755, Chelsea
- (819) 459-3233
- www.arttourchelseawakefield.com
- For the 21st year in a row, selected local artists and artisans open up their homes and studios to the public for 2 weekends during the height of the fall foliage season.
- September 26-27 and October 3-4, 2009
- Wakefield DOC Film Series
- c/o Rooney Productions
- (819) 456-3522
- www.rooneyproductions.com
- Feature-length documentaries that engage, challenge and entertain audiences with uniquely independent viewpoints. Chosen for their iconoclastic value by a jury of local filmmakers and community members.
- Fall 2009 in Wakefield
- Dragonfest
- This festival started as a birthday party for Wakefield's village poet, Phil Cohen, and has evolved into an annual village celebration of all things winter. Each year, an enormous dragon is carved from snow for kids to climb and slide on, and activities include snow sculpting, ice hockey, snow tubing, children's games, hot food, and much more!
- Wakefield Canada Day Parade, Flotilla and Festival
- Every July 1, Wakefield celebrates Canada's birthday with a parade down Riverside Drive, and a simultaneous flotilla down the Gatineau River. Festivities then proceed to the community centre for children's activities, food, live music and fireworks at dusk. After dark, the party usually moves to the Black Sheep Inn and Kaffe 1870.
- Romprestomp
- Louis Rompre's birthday party has grown each year to the point that it is now one of the region's most anticipated summer bashes. Romprestomp has become a veritable outdoor music festival featuring incredible live music and dancing outdoors into the wee hours of the morning.