Charity Gala @ Gayety This Week

Charity Gala @ Gayety This Week

The Winds of Change Gala raises funds for youth education; environmental stewardship on Wednesday March 25^th

Where can you eat a gourmet meal, take in a live concert, bid on auction items and watch a film, all for $50? At Collingwood’s Gayety Theatre, of course! And you can even buy tickets at the door.

The Winds of Change Gala, now in its 7^th year, packs value and fun together for a great cause…er, causes. It’s put on by two Collingwood charities: Elephant Thoughts and the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust. The first organization focuses on childhood education, while the second helps protect our local environment.

The event kicks off at 6pm at the Gayety Theatre and the Blue Mountains Foundation for the Arts next door. First off, tuck into a catered dinner and dessert by Bruce Wine Bar and Heavenly Café, along with a complimentary glass of craft beer or local wine from Northwinds Brewhouse and Georgian Hills Vineyard. (Cash bar to follow.) Then there’s live music by nationally acclaimed folk rock band Harlan Pepper.

As if that wasn’t enough, there are two auctions: one live and one silent. Items open for bidding include a full year’s trial membership to the Lora Bay Golf Club, a Blue Mountain Super Pass, a home-catered gourmet dinner for 8, 4 lift tickets for Craigleith and Beaver Valley Ski Clubs (2015/16), SUP rental and lessons for 4, dozens of gift baskets and certificates donated by local restaurants, merchants, wellness practitioners and much, much more.

The evening is topped off with a short Emmy Award-winning film, Years of Living Dangerously-Winds of Change. The Gala is the crowning event of the Be the Change Film Series, a monthly Wednesday night movie series in its 7^th season. Movies are shown on the last Wednesday of each month, October to April.

Last year’s Gala was a tremendous success; this one will be even better (and with more elbow room!). The public is invited to come for a scrumptious, entertaining evening that will help promote childhood education and local environmental stewardship.

Advance tickets are available in Collingwood at Elephant Thoughts, the Environment Network, Appealing Environments Rock Shop and in Thornbury at Bruce Wine Bar.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support: Locations North Brokerage – Royal LePage, Ashanti Coffee Estate, Conscious Water, StoneTree Naturopathic Clinic, Free Spirit Gardens, Rockside Campbell Design, Dags & Willow, Georgian Hills Vineyards, Northwinds Brewhouse, Bruce Wine Bar, Mountain Life Magazine, Kolapore Springs, Ontario Fisheries Products, Roy’L Acres Farms, Collingwood Bread Company,  Transition Collingwood, Germinate Holistic Arts, Earth’s Berries, Leap 2 Learn.

We would also like to thank the dozens of local organizations and individuals who have contributed auction items and helped to make this a truly successful event.

Media contact: Carl Michener, ¡Outwrite! strategic online communications 416 476 7484

Event manager: Christy Deere, Leap 2 Learn 416 824 3837

Participate in the 3rd Annual Georgian Triangle Music Festival

Participate in the 3^rd Annual Georgian Triangle Music Festival

WASAGA BEACH – March 16^th, 2015 – Georgian Triangle Music Festival is returning for its 3^rd year on July 3^rd, & 4^th, 2015.  Wasaga Beach is known for its “Longest Fresh Water Beach in the World” and being Ontario’s premier summer time destination. Georgian Triangle Music Festival will bring a multi-genre, multi-venue, music fest to this beautiful destination for an amazing weekend of fun, sun and live music.

Georgian Triangle Music Festival is now accepting applications for Vendors and Sponsors, for participation in our weekend festival at the main stage location. Applications are available at www.georgiantrianglemusicfest.com/apply.html. Space is limited so get your application in today!

We thank all applicants for their interest, but space is limited, and we reserve the right to approve applications through a review process. Successful applicants will be contacted as they are approved.

Please contact us through the website or by phone for more information. The contact information is below.

Georgian Triangle Music Festival- Inquires

Shawn Crozier – Event Coordinator/Founder

Phone: 705-627-1382     Email: info@georgiantrianglemusicfest.com

About Georgian Triangle Music Festival

GTMF is a multi-venue, multi-genre, music festival taking place in Wasaga Beach, Ontario.

For more information about Georgian Triangle Music Festival, please visit:

http://www.georgiantrianglemusicfest.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/GeorgianTriangleMusicFest

Twitter:  @GeoTriMusicFest

Email: info@georgiantrianglemusicfest.com

Collingwood Downtown Farmers' Market accepting applications

The Collingwood Downtown Farmers’ market is now accepting applications

Although the weather is still frosty, preparations are underway for the season at the Collingwood’s Downtown Farmers’ Market.  

The market will return on Saturday, May 16 and continues until Thanksgiving Weekend.  Located in the municipal parking lot at the corner of Second and Pine Streets in Collingwood’s historic downtown, the market is open each Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Many of last year’s vendors have already submitted their applications and new inquiries are being received.

If you are interested in participating in market this year, please contact the Collingwood Downtown office, 705-445-5595, or download the application information package from the Farmers’ Market page at www.collingwooddowntown.com.

For more information on the market vendors and special events, as well as information on the events and businesses of Downtown Collingwood, please visit our website at www.collingwooddowntown.com and like us on facebook at www.facebook/collingwooddowntown

Get more exposure for your Events and Activities

Did you know that you can post all of your events and activities for free on www.mycollingwood.ca?  Dining promotions and weekly specials, classes, events, workshops seminars, concerts.  Event better, each event posting can be linked to your website or your facebook event page.  Just click the link and fill in the fields.  If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

Julie Card

Business Manager & Partner

www.mycollingwood.ca

705.444.3453

jcard@mycollingwood.ca

Valentines at The Pottery

One of our favourite places to dine is The Pottery Restaurant located in the Blue Mountain Inn. Check out what they have lined up for Valentine's Day!  For only $41 per person plus taxes.  Newly renovated! This favourite of locals and resort guests alike is pleased to reveal a new open rustic contemporary space. Not to be out-shined by the new décor, the menu features fresh seasonal fare inspired by the flavours and harvests of the Georgian Bay region. 

108 Jozo Weider Blvd., Blue Mountains  Call T: 705-443-5509 for reservations,

Great Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day

It seems like Christmas and New Years were just last week and now Valentine's Day is looming on the horizon.  I've often said that homemade gifts are the best, because you can really personalize them and they have heart built right in. The perfect Valentines gift for me is a simple equation:  Thoughtfulness + a little effort = success!  If you knit fast using chunky wool and big needles you can knit a scarf for your honey bunny just in time for Feb 14th or you could get creative and paint a little pottery (real men paint pottery too-it's been said).

A wonderful solution is to get a gift made by someone else and in our area we have so many talented artisans that it could be hard to choose.  For example, start with chocolate that is home made by Master Chocolatier Mark Aarden from Aarden's Chocolates in Stayner.  A visit to the Candy Factory in Collingwood will give you lots and lots of sweet indulgence to choose from.  There is a sweetheart in our household that always manages to score some Orange Creams for V-Day.  If fudge tops the list of ‘must get for Feb 14th' then a visit to either Grandma's Beach Treats in the East or the Ravenna Country Market on top of the Escarpment will satisfy that craving and if your sweetheart is of the healthy, vegan, GMO free variety there is always the wonderful Collingwood Community Food Co-op that has all sorts of healthy stuff - yes even candy!

Have you considered giving artwork or a one of a kind piece of jewellery as a Valentine's gift?  Four must visit galleries are Bonnie Dorgelo's gallery and studio on Pine Street in Collingwood where you're sure to find a unique piece of jewellery that could possibly make you a Valentine's Day hero, The Loft Gallery in Clarksburg and the Arts Centre in Collingwood or Bright's Gallery in the Blue Mountain Village.

Make Valentine's Day truly memorable this year with a custom gift from Loose Goose in Collingwood. Pick from their selection of garments, burlap pillows or cozy fleece throws.  Choose a graphic from Loose Goose, create your own saying, print your favourite photograph or allow Loose Goose to design something just for you. Show your love in a unique and creative way this year with a gift which will be treasured for years.

If you're going to opt for the tried and true and send flowers you can kick it up a notch in the floral department and give Abigail Hitchens a call at Petals in Thyme for a truly stunning Valentine's Day arrangement.

If you've got a fashionista on your list then a visit to Christie's Clothing is just the ticket for classic fashions and Echo Trends in Collingwood on Pine Street has a huge selection of trendy ladies wear.  For the sporty types then a visit to One Tooth in either the Blue Mountain Village or Cranberry Mews for all kinds of stretchy stuff.  Julia's Walk-in-Closet in the Blue Mountain Village has some really cute fashions for both men and women andThe Style Boutique in Wasaga is great for all sizes.  For a more daring fashion statementTingle in the Blue Mountain Village is having a huge sale - oh la la is all I can say.

If you're planning on dining out here is a complete list of all of the Amazing Restaurants in the area (make your reservations soon).  Watch our facebook page in the coming weeks as we showcase some of the special Valentine's menus that our wonderful area chefs are creating

Whatever you choose start thinking now because a little forethought and creativity will go a long long way.  Hmmmm a romantic snowshoe at Scenic Caves is topping my list of activities to do with my Sweetheart wonder if he'll read this newsletter and surprise me.

Happy V-Day!

Julie Card

Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team go for the Gold

Skiers from the Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team go for the Gold as the Special Olympics Provincial Winter Games open in North Bay on January 29th.

Skiers from the Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team travel with their coaches to North Bay, Ontario to compete in the 2015 Provincial Winter Games.

The following 8 racers qualified at the Conference One Alpine meet at Blue Mountain resort last winter to represent the Blue Mountains/Collingwood area at the games.

Matthew Fields, Kristin Draper, Sebi Gaussen, Andrew Richards, Jeffrey Plouffe, Sebastian Guinyou-Savage, Matthew Poste and Robin Shuter

These games offer athletes the opportunity to compete on a provincial stage, and winners may represent Ontario at the 2016 Special Olympics National Winter Games next season in Corner Brook Newfoundland.

‘The athletes, coaches and volunteers have been working and training hard for this event and look forward to representing our team, the region and Blue Mountain’ says Terry Sears, Head Coach.

Currently the Blue Mountain Special Olympics Alpine Team is the largest program in Canada. Since 1997 when the World Games were held in Collingwood, Blue Mountain Resorts has sponsored this team of more than 30 athletes, with the help of over 40 volunteers.