Doreen Vanderstoop (left) will have her author talk played this weekend by the public library for culture days.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@mocranker
This weekend is the annual Culture Days and the Medicine Hat Public Library has found creative ways to get people celebrating.
MHPL’s head of marketing services says there will be in-person and virtual events this weekend.
“This Friday we’re doing our first virtual Pecha Kucha event,” said Gillian Reimer. “During Pecha Kucha it’s an evening of storytelling from members of our community. Instead of hosting it at the Esplanade and inviting 400-plus people like we used to, we’re moving it to our Pecha Kucha Facebook page instead.
“We have recorded videos from some really interesting speakers.”
Presentations start at 8:20 p.m. and include, COVID-19 from the view of a cat, Mulder the Victim Services dog and more listed on the Facebook page.
The public library will then be premiering a video of an Author Talk that took place last year.
“Doreen Vanderstoop is Calgary author and she wrote the book ‘Watershed’,” said Reimer. “She came down on Sept. 12 and we had a small, in-person talk. This is the recorded version of that.”
The book is about a dystopian Alberta after the world’s glaciers have disappeared. Instead of oil in pipelines, Albertans transport water.
“It’s a really, really good read,” said Reimer.”We have physical and e-book copies here at the library.”
On Sunday, Cowboy Poetry will be held at Kin Coulee Park. It starts at 12:30 p.m.
“Our one in-person program will be held at the band shelter at Kin Coulee,” said Reimer. “It’s basically a concert of cowboy poetry and authentic western music.”
Sunday’s event will feature presenters from the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation.
People are asked to bring their own lawn chair and to physically distance themselves from people outside of their family and close friends circle.