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; All of our 27 guest rooms reflect the rich heritage of this historic grist mill. Be sure to visit our award winning restaurant and spa.

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 Kaffé 1870: 715 Riverside Drive, Wakefield; (819) 459-3943

Literature

Philip Cohen (Village Poet) & Glennis Cohen (Village Librarian): 515 Riverside Drive,Wakefield; (819) 459-2747; www.carleton.ca/~gcohen/vphome.htm; Community Organizer

The Low Down to Hull and Back News: 815 Riverside Drive, 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.

River Echo Language School: 735 Riverside, Wakefield; (819) 459-3670

Solstice Books: 721 Riverside Drive, Wakefield; (819) 459-2797

Community Venues

Wakefield Public Library: 38 Valley Drive, Wakefield; (819) 459-3266; www.bibliowakefieldlibrary.ca

Wakefield Community Centre: 38 Valley Drive, Wakefield; (819) 459-2025; www.wakefieldcentre.ca

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 214: 27 Legion Road, Wakefield; (819) 459-2913

Rupert Community Centre: 24 Shouldice Road, Rupert; For Hall Bookings, call 819-459-2634 or 819-459-1293; www.ywar.ca

Art Galleries

Khewa Native Boutique: 737 Riverside Drive, Wakefield; (819) 459-2112; www.khewa.com

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; The largest fringe festival in the world…per capita! An annual international theatre festival presented by Theatre Wakefield in venues along Wakefield's main street.; June 24 - 26, 2011

Harvest Festival: c/o Khewa, 737 Riverside Drive, Wakefield; (819) 459-2112; www.wakefieldharvestfestival.ca; The Wakefield Harvest Festival takes place each autumn and is a celebration of food, the earth, the harvest season and Native Canadian culture.; Autumn 2012

Wakefest Arts Festival: www.wakefest.org; Wakefest is a multi arts festival that takes place in Wakefield on the last weekend in August each summer. Throughout the village there are presentations in film, fine arts, installation art, spoken word, literary events, modern dance, theatre, music, poetry and other performance arts.; August 25 - 28, 2011

Artists in Their Environment: CP 1755, Chelsea; (819) 459-3233; www.tourcw.com; For the 23rd 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.; October 1-2 & 8-10, 2011

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.; Autumn 2010

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!; January 2011

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: Municipal councillor 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.; July 23, 2011 @ The Black Sheep Inn