Online Articles - theHumm
Jim Fisher — Popularizing Art - theHumm July 2025
By Sally Hansen
Art… and Soul
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and Jim Fisher’s gotta paint until he dies.* He found his calling six years ago, and he shows absolutely no sign of slowing down — to the extent that his wife Diana contacted theHumm and suggested we profile her prolific artistic husband to let our readers know of this new source of wonderfully affordable art.
Jim is energetic, and he loves to paint. His works are bold and appealing, and they merit an audience wider than the couple’s ar......
Back by Popular Demand Almonte Craft Beer Fest Returns on July 25 - theHumm July 2025
By — Submitted the Municipality of Mississippi Mills
Explore some of the area’s best brews and spirits as the second annual Almonte Craft Beer Fest returns to the grounds of Almonte Old Town Hall (14 Bridge Street) on Friday, July 25.
After the popularity of last year’s inaugural event, the Municipality of Mississippi Mills is coordinating another entertaining evening from 6:30 to 10:30pm featuring seven breweries, a distillery and a vineyard, as well as awesome entertainment from Silver Creek. Tasty treats will be on offer from food ......
Have You Heard this Joke Before? - theHumm July 2025
By Jane Stott
A group of eight dysfunctional characters meet once a week at a dance class in a church. Sounds like the first line in a joke, doesn’t it? And in the case of Stepping Out by Richard Harris, Studio Theatre Perth’s upcoming play, you wouldn’t be wrong in anticipating humour. Jokes and one-liners and asides abound when the curtains open on one of Mavis Turner’s tap dancing classes. For the participants, the class is all about having fun, and the very different women (with one token ......
Celebrating Elder Trees in Perth - theHumm July 2025
By — Submitted Our Perth Trees
If you aren’t already a lover of trees, a free family-friendly event taking place on Saturday, July 12 from 9:30am to 12:30pm at Stewart Park may change your mind. Besides gaining knowledge about trees, kids and adults alike will leave with a greater appreciation of their many benefits.
All trees are valuable, but mature or “elder” trees are truly special. The large old trees in our community can range in age from 75 to 200 years. They can astound us with their grandeur in height and sp......
Stewart Park Festival Full Lineup and Super Schedule for 2025! - theHumm July 2025
The wait is over! The full 2025 Stewart Park Festival lineup and weekend schedule have officially been announced. From July 18–20, downtown Perth will once again come alive with three days of music and community as the beloved festival returns for its 34th year.
Festival-goers can now plan their weekend with performances happening across two beautiful venues: the open-air Stewart Park stage and the intimate Crystal Palace. With over 35 performances scheduled over three days, audience......
5th Merrickville Festival of the Arts A Marvelous Mix of the Arts from July 25–27 - theHumm July 2025
By Nick Previsich
Come on out to Blockhouse Park in beautiful heritage Merrickville from July 25–27 and immerse yourself in a marvelous mix of arts! The 5th annual Festival of the Arts is organized by the Merrickville Organization for Culture & the Arts, in collaboration with the Merrickville Arts Guild (MAG) and Theatre Night in Merrickville (TNIM). This annual celebration has been popular with residents, visitors from nearby communities, and tourists visiting the Rideau Canal — a UNESCO Heritage Site.
T......
HerbFest Returns A Celebration of Healthy Living, Music, and Local Flair - theHumm July 2025
On Sunday, July 27, the Township of McNab/Braeside is thrilled to welcome visitors back to HerbFest, a beloved summer tradition celebrating healthy living, local talent, and the natural beauty of the Ottawa Valley. This year’s event promises to be bigger, brighter, and better than ever.
Set on the picturesque grounds of the Waba Cottage Museum & Gardens in White Lake, HerbFest 2025 offers a full day of activities from 10am to 3pm. They include live music by talented local performers, artisan vendors and local farms showcasing handmade and homegrown goods, interactive workshops an......
BarnDoor Productions Bringing Summer Shakespeare Back to Perth - theHumm July 2025
For a decade, from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, Perth’s BarnDoor Productions community theatre brought William Shakespeare to the area with beloved productions in the historic gardens of Perth Manor, the imposing mansion on Drummond Street in Perth.
Beginning with an enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream and ending with a memorable Hamlet, thousands of playgoers experienced classic theatre in the b......
A Community Yart Sale! - theHumm July 2025
Local artist and Art for Aid project coordinator Colleen Gray is holding a fundraiser called a “Community Yart Sale” on July 13, which will raise funds for that wonderful organization. Anyone can apply as a vendor and/or attend this event, which will take place from 10am to 4pm in the parking lot in front of the Art for Aid office and Sarah Moffat Art Studio at 50 Bennett Street in Carleton Place.
Bring your art or art supplies to swap or sell — help keep good quality art supplies o......
Transform Your Garden with Art From Birdhouses to Bold Sculptures — Find them at Bloomfest! - theHumm July 2025
By Suzanne Patry
When designing a garden, we carefully consider the size, shape, texture, and colour of both plants and hardscape elements. The same thoughtful approach applies when incorporating art into your outdoor space. Art can elevate a garden, offering both beauty and functionality.
For example, bird-friendly art pieces bring life and colour. Consider handcrafted birdhouses from My Recycled Dreams or Portshell Crafts. A birdhouse from Dave Card will make you smile while providing shelter for feath......
5 Wednesdays in July - theHumm July 2025
By the Friends of Augusta Street Park
Friends of Augusta Street Park community volunteers have come together to organize a great lineup for this year’s 5 Wednesdays in July concert series. Dates to mark in your calendar include July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.
These are free, family-friendly music in the park events meant to bring community together and break up the work week with friends and neighbours, while enjoying live music. We pride ourselves on offering a free, welcoming and a safe inclusive space. We also pass the hat to fundr......
News from The Pews - theHumm July 2025
Everybody knows the old saying “one person’s junk is another person’s treasure.” Happily, in this time of “recycle, repurpose and reuse”, we are drifting away from the reference to junk and focusing more on treasure.
People want to sell their possessions for many reasons, but change seems to be the one common denominator. Older adults whose children are grown want to downsize into a more manageable living space. Families want to purge their collection of toys and children’s furniture......
The Bonnechere Valley Inspired Tour - theHumm July 2025
By Laurel Cook
In May 2023, after working together on an art project for the Bonnechere Museum, several artists and artisans decided to form Bonnechere Valley Inspired. The mandate of the group is to foster a healthy, creative and culturally rich community. To that end, we created a tour in Bonnechere Valley Township to showcase local artists, artisans, food producers and heritage.
But after the first tour in 2023, we realised that we had to do more. We took the Sustainable Tourism Pledge 2030 and wrote......
Super Summer Reads Top Up Your Tote with these Terrific Canadian Books - theHumm July 2025
By John Pigeau
There is something magical about reading a good book in the summer. That might seem like a romantic notion to some, but it sure isn’t to me. No, on the warmest summer days, I’m entirely content with a comfortable lawn chair, shade from a big old leafy tree, an ice-cold drink, and a book I’ve been itching to read spread open in my lap. “Books are a uniquely portable magic,” Stephen King once wrote. He may have meant they are in every season, but to me, that sentiment seems perfectly true for summe......
Betty and the Bobs Live at Farmgate Music, Cider, and Summer Vibes - theHumm July 2025
Get ready for an unforgettable evening in the barn as Betty and the Bobs, a beloved genre-blending band, bring their wildly entertaining live show to Farmgate Cider on July 18.
Known for their fun performances, witty banter, and a repertoire that spans folk, jazz, country, pop and beyond, Betty and the Bobs are a musical supergroup featuring some of the province’s finest roots musicians. The band is made up of Soozie Schlanger (award-winning vocalist and fiddler of Swamperella fame), Su......
Madawaska Valley Studio Tour - theHumm July 2025
The Madawaska Valley Studio Tour is a free, self-directed tour where visitors can observe live demonstrations by renowned artists, meet emerging artists, and purchase one-of-a-kind art and fine craft. This is a unique opportunity to see artists and makers in their studios as they transform materials like wood, clay, fabric, glass, wool and metal into their artistic visions.
The Summer Tour takes place on July 19 and 20, and the Fall Tour is on October 4 and 5. Studios will be open 10a......
Art is Blooming in Almonte! - theHumm July 2025
Two new exhibitions will run from July 26 to August 29 at Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte, and everyone is invited to a combined Vernissage/Artists Reception on Saturday, July 26 from 2–4pm.
Bloom is a trio exhibition in Gallery I inspired by floral themes, featuring works by artists Barbara Gamble, Sarah Anderson and Peter Wood, all based in the Ottawa area. “Flowers bloom and share their fleeting beauty with us,” notes Barbara Gamble. Her works are inspired by ......
Library After Dark A Night of Music with School House - theHumm July 2025
On Saturday, July 19, the Library After Dark fundraising concert series returns to the Perth & District Library with a concert featuring School House!
This summer event, offered in partnership with Stewart Park Festival, offers a chance for people who love music to see top notch artists in a unique, alternative space and support the Perth & District Library.
School House is a folk band from Ottawa. After moving in together in 2021, the three best friends discov......
The Stories We Tell Why Positivity is Crucial, and Fun! - theHumm July 2025
By Kris Riendeau
We humans spend a great deal of time taking in stories, and telling them. For our brains — whether through conversations, social media, or good old-fashioned books, newspapers and magazines — “language and communication are as vital as food and water” (medicalnewstoday.com, How language shapes our brains... and our lives). We make sense of our world and ourselves through language and stories. So it stands to reason that the type and tone of the stories we tell might be key to our happiness, productivity, and perhaps even survival.
If you’ve stuck your head up above the sand lately, yo......
Bocce Ball in Almonte - theHumm July 2025
By — Colleen Skjaveland, ALBC Executive
It was a beautiful, cool evening on Thursday, June 12 for the ribbon cutting at the grand opening of the new bocce ball courts in Almonte. It is with great pleasure that the Almonte Lawn Bowling Club (ALBC) is now able to offer the popular game of bocce ball to the community. Many attending were delighted to give the game a try to see how fun and easy it would be to master. “Wow, good shot!”, “I can actually do this!”, and “Nice courts!” were heard among the positive comments.
Kevin ......
The Moth Project Returns: An Interview with Peter and Tobi Kiesewalter - theHumm July 2025
By Kris Riendeau
From an initial spark around a quarantine campfire, The Moth Project has grown into a multisensory voyage where music, macro-photography, and myth meet the fragile brilliance of nocturnal wings. Keyboardist-composer Peter Kiesewalter and violinist Whitney La Grange guide audiences through an hour-plus musical odyssey that riffs from Bach to KISS while enlarging moths—nature’s often-ignored pollinators—to cinematic scale. Woven into the projections and live performance are threads of migration, metam......
An Evening of Bachand Mozart in Arnprior - theHumm July 2025
By Roland Graham
On Friday, July 25 at 7pm, the magnificent Church of St. John Chrysostom in Arnprior will host an evening of solo piano music by J. S. Bach and W. A. Mozart, performed by Ottawa-based pianist and conductor Roland Graham. The concert will last about 75 minutes, and admittance is by freewill offering; $20 is recommended. For information and directions, visit Eventbrite.ca and search “Bach and Mozart in Arnprior July 25.”
What do two long-dead European composers have to offer a 2025 audience in the Ottawa Valley? Quite a bit, actuall......
Perth’s B-Movie Weekend - theHumm July 2025
Here’s something weird and wonderful to add to your summer memories: Studio Theatre Perth is bringing classic science fiction back to the big screen! Laugh, cheer and scream at three of the greats, and sample new films by one of Perth’s own film makers, Sam Moore.
All three feature movies offer the important elements of the genre: aliens, robots, humour (both intentional and otherwise), memorable dialogue, and some very special special effects. Come see Forbidden Planet (195......
Indulge Your Curiosity at the Almonte Town & Home Tour - theHumm July 2025
Aren’t we all a little nosy? On Saturday, August 16, you’ll have the opportunity to indulge that curiosity by touring fantastic homes and historic locations around Almonte! What better way to spend a summer day than walking around a quaint little town, getting inspiration for your home décor and taking a peek at how other folks live? Even better — this tour directly supports two local charities: the Almonte General Hospital – Fairview Manor Foundation, and the Mississippi Valley Textile Mu......
The Reever’s Summer Wish - theHumm July 2025
By Glenda Jones
In 2012 I received this gentle prayer from my sister who is involved in about as many things as I am way out there on the West Coast. I think it is appropriate for all of us to take a moment and just ease into the season for which we’ve been waiting. Even if the imbibements are not necessarily your choice, it’s summer, for goodness sake. Let’s enjoy it.
There I was yesterday, staying in the house because — and read this with a whine! — it was too hot to be in the garden. And — again whine! — ......
In Defence of Shallots - theHumm July 2025
By — Cindy Hanna
Like Glenda Jones (“What’s With Shallots?” theHumm, June 2025), I, too, was once fearful of shallots — allophobic?!? I had seen them nestled in their little boxes in the grocers. But no-one I knew cooked with them, so I never bought them.
Happily, I moved to the Ottawa Valley and met a lover of shallots — my stepson Tom. Not as strongly flavoured as an onion, with a little hint of garlic flavour, and small — these little gems are perfect for so many purposes! Need that flavour, but don’t want to cu......
Bringing Mexican Vibes to Westport - theHumm July 2025
By Seamus Cowan
It’s not that often that we get a chance to hear traditional Mexican music in our little Ontario town, but after an incredible week spent in Mexico I was inspired to bring some to The Cove. The music, the food, the people, the land, the culture — it’s all so vibrant and colourful. And the vibe… it’s all about the vibe.
Members of the Los Paisanos Mariachi band have been based in Ottawa for 30 years now. They have become an essential part of several venues there and are incre......
Pottery in Pakenham - theHumm July 2025
James Thorne Pottery is excited to announce the opening of registration for their highly anticipated 2025 Summer Pottery Classes. Known for their hands-on approach to ceramic arts and a welcoming studio environment, James Thorne Pottery invites artists of all levels — from curious beginners to seasoned clay enthusiasts — to explore the art of pottery this summer.
Summer classes will begin on July 14 and run through the end of August. Students will learn foundational and advanced techni......
Photography at Hourglass Café - theHumm July 2025
An exhibit of photos by Roz Phillips is on display at Hourglass Café in Perth until July 15. Everyone is invited to an Open House where you can meet the artist and listen to the music of Jack Surch on July 4 from 2–4pm.
According to the artist: “Travelling, learning, experimenting, and creating images have always been exciting for me. Watching my ideas grow has been a wonderful journey. Exploring beautiful possibilities and expanding my creative spirit, I graduated from St. Lawrence College as a ......
Almonte’s Fibrefest Celebrates 30 Years - theHumm July 2025
Come on out to the scenic town of Almonte on September 6 and 7 to celebrate the wonderful world of fibre arts at the 30th annual Fibrefest. Taking place at two locations, the John Levi Community Centre and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, admission to Fibrefest is only $5 per day and grants access to both sites. With more than 80 vendors from across the province and beyond, there’s no better place to stock up on amazing supplies for your textile hobby and shop for finished clothing, accessories......
Margaret Martin: Looking In An Artist’s Reflection on Interior Spaces - theHumm July 2025
By Kimberly Lulashnyk
I recently finished a poetry collection gifted to me by the author herself, Margaret Martin. From Inside to Outside is its name — a quiet, soulful read filled with the same sensitivity to space and mood that animates her paintings. Whether in words or images, Margaret brings a deep intentionality to interior spaces. Her work invites us to observe the rooms she renders and enter them, to sit with the emotions, memories, and meaning they hold.
At first glance, her paintings......
A Tale of Two Businesses Pam’s Kindness Store and Maxine Brown Ink - theHumm July 2025
By Kris Riendeau
Maxine Brown and Pam Knowles have been friends for years and business owners for decades, but recently both have transitioned into a new phase by starting up two innovative ventures. After retiring from a very successful pet services business, Pam opened Pam’s Kindness Store last December and has since raised over $7,000 for local charities. This month, Maxine is shifting gears by opening her own tattoo studio — Maxine Brown Ink — building on her years of work as a professional face painter and make-......
Who Has Seen the Light? - theHumm July 2025
By David Hinks
Most folks who have grown or considered growing vegetables (and particularly those with shady yards) are only too aware of their sunlight requirements. The key to growing healthy vegetables is lots of sunlight. In order to facilitate photosynthesis effectively, it’s important to provide gardens with optimal sun exposure. Different vegetables have varying sunlight preferences based on their natural habitat and adaptation. For example, leafy greens like lettuce and spi......
Who Cares About Birds? - theHumm July 2025
By Sue Brandum
I was chatting recently with a small group about how we could get people to care about the climate crisis. Because it sure seems most don’t these days. It’s lost its front-page status, we’ve bought into the PR of the oil and gas industry, the first heat wave of the summer is welcomed, the list goes on…
But then someone in our little group went off on a tangent and told a story about a wild bird she had seen (she’s a birder). The story captured everyone’s attention — and in a w......
Festival of the Wild Child Come and See Nature Differently! - theHumm July 2025
Families seeking an immersive and educational outdoor experience should mark their calendars for Saturday, August 23, when the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (MMLT) hosts its annual Festival of the Wild Child at High Lonesome Nature Reserve.
This popular family event offers a full day of nature exploration, hands-on discovery and outdoor fun, with activities designed to engage both children and adults. This year’s theme, “See Nature Differently,” invites participants to experience th......
Almonte Tennis Club — All About Community - theHumm July 2025
By G. G. Pines
When a new storage shed and bulletin board were recently installed at the Almonte Tennis Club, it drew little notice. And why should it? After all, the new shed is just a place to store the tennis club’s tools, spare racquets and balls. And the bulletin board just displays the court schedule, tournament and class information and the occasional notice. Really not much to see there.
However, there’s more to the story. Here’s the part most people won’t see. The new installations ar......
The Call of the Old Ways: Your Journey Begins at Ninth Wave Arts - theHumm July 2025
By Ninth Wave Arts
Once upon a time — not so long ago, really — our ancestors lived close to the land. Their hands were soil-stained, their stories sung around fires, their wisdom woven into everything from bread baking to moon watching. They followed the seasons like a sacred map. They knew how to listen to the earth and each other. They belonged.
And though time has tucked much of that wisdom away, buried it beneath concrete and calendar alerts, it is not lost.
Something in you already kn......
Jul 13 Community "Yart" Sale
Jul 13 Community "Yart" Sale
Jul 18 Multicultural Potluck
Jul 18 Multicultural Potluck
Jul 18 Multicultural Potluck
Jul 18 - 27 Bloomfest Garden Art Show & Sale
Jul 18 - 27 Bloomfest Garden Art Show & Sale
Jul 26 Craft and Colour
Jul 26 Craft and Colour
Jul 26 - 27 Merrickville Festival of the Arts
- Jim Fisher — Popularizing Art
- Back by Popular Demand Almonte Craft Beer Fest Returns on July 25
- Have You Heard this Joke Before?
- Celebrating Elder Trees in Perth
- Stewart Park Festival Full Lineup and Super Schedule for 2025!
- 5th Merrickville Festival of the Arts A Marvelous Mix of the Arts from July 25–27
- HerbFest Returns A Celebration of Healthy Living, Music, and Local Flair
- BarnDoor Productions Bringing Summer Shakespeare Back to Perth
- A Community Yart Sale!
- Transform Your Garden with Art From Birdhouses to Bold Sculptures — Find them at Bloomfest!
