As the days warm up you should wander by MacLean Park Fieldhouse and see what the conversations are with your neighbours. There’s always something fun happening at Oncle Hoonki’s Fabulous Hornshop, always a dog to pet while catching up with the local scene, always a school group stopping by to yell questions at the adults. https://photos.app.goo.gl/QD8t4ejiM2qV1UGd9
How to join: Find all the updates on facebook at Oncle Hoonki’s Fabulous Hornshop group.
All the best photos: #onclehoonkis #fuhorns
videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/davidgowman/videos
As restrictions diminish, even more tools and playtime can happen out on the lawn. Look for us when the festive lights are on. Do you have a project and need a consult? Knock on the door or just ask the person with the most woodchips on his clothes. Maybe that guy knows a thing or two about gluing, sawing, carving or where to find some smart person. It’s a small world and Strathcona is probably already up in your business.
Coming up this year:
The Maclean Park Knapp-In. A demonstration of ancestral skills from the stone age. Flintknappers from the region practising ancient hand-skills of lithic reduction, shaping and finishing spear-points and arrowheads. A global range of styles, from Pacific Northwest first nations, to Eurasian, Polynesian and African stone shaping techniques are demonstrated.
Disco Lawntime. Like Lawntime, only now set to a disco beat. Advancing on last year’s very popular program, Mr. Fire-Man’s Slow Groove Stretch Class, MacLean Park will now host a weekly dance groove set to the music of drum, bass and horn with the option of additional musical accompaniment. Strathconians and visitors to the neighbourhood are encouraged to come out and dance while the opportunity presents. All ages.
Music Hike. Participants choose from a selection of instruments made available from the Hoonki’s collection and set out on a short hike to the acoustically superior space under Hasting Street at Raymur. We improvise music. We record it. Once accomplished, we return to MacLean Park Fieldhouse for reflection and possibly instrument repair. https://youtu.be/YM5WSwhSXTU
Urban Tube Farmers Stewardship. Connect to nature with a long-term relationship growing your own materials for instrument manufacture. Local tube grower, David Gowman demonstrates methodology for planting, pruning and seasonal care of living resource trees, bushes and plants yielding a cyclical source of top grade materials suitable for instrument builders and related crafts.
Buttonmakers Guild. In cooperation with EartHand Gleaners Society, Oncle Hoonki’s Fabulous Hornshop presents: Buttonmaking with Hand-tools. Manufacture your own beautiful, durable buttons for that very important garment project that needed a special touch. Materials include locally grown, sustainable hardwoods, antler and shell. Stay tuned for sign-up details. Space limited.
Singalong Seasonal Celebrations with Amy Walker and the Legion of Flying Monkeys. Come out and celebrate the turning of the seasons in MacLean Park with lanterns, music, neighbours and singalong. Featuring: fresh zines with singalong lyrics by Strathcona community superstar, Amy Walker and musical backup by the Legion of Flying Monkeys. All are welcome.
MacLean Park Music Series. Another season of performances by local bands under the pine trees at MacLean Park. Organized by veteran Folk Fest Technical Director and Strathconian, Alan Zisman, the MacLean Park Music Series is an all-ages, all genres festival celebrating diversity and local empowerment. Now in it’s third season, look for updates and listing on the Facebook group, MacLean Park Music.
BYOSandwich and Carving. Spoon carvers return to the fieldhouse for a weekly session of shared experience carving (probably mostly spoons, but I don’t judge). Pre-registration is necessary due to space constraints. Alas, there is no more food sharing at Oncle Hoonki’s, so you must bring your own sandwich, or just suffer while the grown-ups who learned to prepare a meal in advance of a scheduled class eat their food in front of you.
Diversity Outreach Tuesdays. Selected Tuesday evenings through the summer months will see participants from Oncle Hoonki’s joining the multi-cultural improvisation scene at the Drum Circle on Third Beach. Emphasis is place on polyrhythmic integration with the long-term goal of universal love and acceptance through dance, camaraderie and music. All are welcome.
Oncle Höonki's Fabulous Hornshop 