• Home
    • About
  • Festivals

    Gros Morne Theatre Festival 2022

    The beautiful Town of Cow Head is home to the Gros Morne Theatre Festival. With a full professional 16 week sum

    • Trails, Tales and Tunes
    • Gros Morne Theatre Festival
    • Passing the Time in Trout River
    • Gros Morne Summer Music
    • Vinland Music Camp and Killdevil Fair
    • Writers at Woody Point
    • Gros Morne Fall Fest and Craft Fair
  • Places

    The Tablelands - walk on the earth's mantle

    The Tablelands of Gros Morne National Park have provided inspiration for many visitors to the region. http://www.youtub

    • Cow Head
    • Green Point
    • Norris Point
    • Rocky Harbour
    • Tablelands
    • Trout River
    • Woody Point
  • Arts & Culture

    Bonne Bay Marine Station Artist in Residence

    A warm welcome to Lorraine Jane Matthews, Bonne Bay Marine Station's Artist in Residence: Lorraine Jane Matthews was

    • Art
    • Craft
    • Film
    • Heritage
    • Literature
    • Music
    • People
    • Storytelling
    • Theatre
  • Savour
    • Chef in Residence 2017
    • Chef in Residence 2016
  • Connecting through Culture
    • Alli Johnston
    • Marc Losier
    • Mike McDonald
    • Marcia Huyer
    • Larry Weyand & Miles Brokenshire
    • Writers at Woody Point
    • Robert Hengeveld
    • Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative (AHOI) & Kristin Roks
    • Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival
    • Christine Koch
    • Cow Head Conservation & Heritage Committee
  • Studio Tour 2023
    • Barbara Bellows Art
    • Galliott Studios
    • Hunky Dory
    • Molly Made Fibre Art Studio
    • Skivvers Fibre Studio & Wool Craft
    • Sorensen’s Studio of Fine Arts
    • Studio 167
    • The Glass Station
    • Traditions by Miranda
  • visitgrosmorne.com
  • Home
    • About
  • Festivals
    • Trails, Tales and Tunes
    • Gros Morne Theatre Festival
    • Passing the Time in Trout River
    • Gros Morne Summer Music
    • Vinland Music Camp and Killdevil Fair
    • Writers at Woody Point
    • Gros Morne Fall Fest and Craft Fair
  • Places
    • Cow Head
    • Green Point
    • Norris Point
    • Rocky Harbour
    • Tablelands
    • Trout River
    • Woody Point
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Craft
    • Film
    • Heritage
    • Literature
    • Music
    • People
    • Storytelling
    • Theatre
  • Savour
    • Chef in Residence 2017
    • Chef in Residence 2016
  • Connecting through Culture
    • Alli Johnston
    • Marc Losier
    • Mike McDonald
    • Marcia Huyer
    • Larry Weyand & Miles Brokenshire
    • Writers at Woody Point
    • Robert Hengeveld
    • Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative (AHOI) & Kristin Roks
    • Theatre Newfoundland Labrador’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival
    • Christine Koch
    • Cow Head Conservation & Heritage Committee
  • Studio Tour 2023
    • Barbara Bellows Art
    • Galliott Studios
    • Hunky Dory
    • Molly Made Fibre Art Studio
    • Skivvers Fibre Studio & Wool Craft
    • Sorensen’s Studio of Fine Arts
    • Studio 167
    • The Glass Station
    • Traditions by Miranda
  • visitgrosmorne.com
HomeGros Morne Fall Fest
Previous Next

Gros Morne Fall Fest

Posted by: Tara Kroes , October 24, 2013

Keeping Traditions Alive During the Gros Morne Fall Fest & Craft Fair in Cow Head

For seven years, artisans have been able to showcase their beautiful hand-crafted pieces at the Gros Morne Craft Fair. This year was the first year that it also became a festival, including workshops for painting classes, quilting, kite making, moose hair tufting, basket weaving and fly tying, as well as a fiddle workshop. The weekend also includes dining and nightly entertainment showcasing the traditions of the province in an exciting new way.

Moose1

One of the events that I found extremely interesting was Moose Hair Tufting. This is an art form that came from the Native Indian women embroidering their husband’s coats. Duncan Chisolm was teaching the workshop and has been practising the art of Moose Tufting for 28 years. He originally learned from former Indian Chief in the North West Territories and is one of the only people in Newfoundland who practices this dying art. I was amazed to find out about the process behind the art. The moose hair can only come from a cow (female) and the best hair comes from the shoulders and rump area. The hair is picked by hand and only the white hair can be used. The hair is then threaded through tanned hide or velvet canvas. An extremely time consuming process, but the end result is striking. The Queen of England even has a piece of Duncan’s art. Being one of the only people practising this craft can keep a person in high demand and Duncan has donated over a million dollars in artwork over the years.

Another interesting workshop I got to experience was basket weaving, lead by Helga Guillard who has studied under some of the world’s best basket weavers. Being surrounded by the artwork in her Mother’s home, she was inspired by the art of basket weaving at a young age. The pride and passion the people of Gros Morne show of where they originate from and the dedication for keeping traditions alive is simply amazing.

Basket1     Basket2

Even the dining at this festival is an artistic experience. Saturday night, Shallow Bay Hotel hosted Justin Thyme Bean and Bistro. Chef Justin George creates unique dishes that he plates like a work of art and also uses local ingredients whenever possible.

Each evening offered a different type of entertainment including music by Peter Jacobs, Musical Soiree with Daniel Payne and Friends, a gospel concert and a Kitchen party hosted by Stephanie Payne and Rob Thorne. Traditionally in Newfoundland, when someone would host a party it would end up being in the kitchen as that is where the stove, and therefore the heat, was. Anyone who could play an instrument or sing was invited to do so at any time during the kitchen party. The festival’s kitchen party brings the same intimate feeling of celebrating with your friends in one of their homes and continues to invite anyone musically inclined to showcase their talent.

Gros Morne Fall Fest & Craft Fair is an excellent weekend celebrating traditional art forms from the past while supporting the future of the area.

Tags: Cow Head, Craft, Festivals, Gros Morne Fall Fest, Music

Share!
Tweet
Notice: Please check settings of Facebook API in Theme Options -> Advanced

Tara Kroes

About the author

I traded the CN Tower for Gros Morne National Park. I went from living and working in downtown Toronto to living and working in rural Newfoundland and I have never been so happy. The celtic sprit, majestic beauty, and kind people of this incredible province have captured my heart. As a travel addict, I have explored more then 21 countries and 100's of cities around this beautiful planet and Newfoundland has turned out to be one of my all time favourite places to investigate. With a passion for dancing, theatre, music, yoga and all things artistic I like to find the art and beauty in everything I experience. I believe that there is no greater feeling then getting to cross something off your bucket list and there is no better place to get to do that then Newfoundland.

Comments are closed.

Tags

Anchors Aweigh Art Bonne Bay Marine Station Canada150 Community Cottage Hospital Cow Head Craft Creative Gros Morne Dance Events Festivals Film Food Galliott Studios Glass Station Green Point Gros Morne Fall Fest Gros Morne Summer Music Gros Morne Theatre Festival Heritage Heritage Theatre Hey Rosetta Hiking Inspiration Literature Lomond Music news Norris Point Parks Canada People Rocky Harbour Storytelling Studios Tablelands Theatre Trails Tales and Tunes Trout River Vinland Music Camp VOBB Woody Point Woody Point Heritage Theatre Workshop Writers at Woody Point

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright © 2013 Design by Jawtemplates.com.
  • Home
  • About Creative Gros Morne