The Mummer’s Festival has a new website that has the complete mummering schedule, lots of photos and footage from the past festivals and many stories about mummering. Go to mummersfestival.ca and get ready to mummer.

The workshops on December 3rd, 6th, 10th, 11th and 13th take place at the Pool House in Victoria Park.

We couldn’t have done it without the awesome job of our 2011 Lantern Festival staff (Renee, Dzenna and Danon ), the juggler’s group,a big huge bunch of volunteers and of course all the community who came out to build and repair/recreate lanterns.

To celebrate, an awards celebration is being planned in honour of all the Best of St. John’s winners on:

• When: Thursday, December 15 from 8pm to 9pm
• Where: The Rock House on George Street

Live music will follow, performed by this year’s Atlantis Music Prize nominees. The whole event is free to attend and it’s open to the public, so you’re welcome to invite your colleagues and friends (+19). We hope you can make it!

See the print-friendly invitation. Please RSVP to let us know whether you’ll be attending!

QUICK FACTS on The Scope’s Best of St. John’s Survey

• More than 1,000 complete surveys (a minimum of 15 categories) were filled out between August and October 2011.
• In January, 2012, a special issue will be dedicated to highlighting the survey results and the winners.
• Every month 23,000 – 28,000 print copies of The Scope are distributed to 240+ locations in St. John’s, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Torbay and Conception Bay South, including all 13 Northeast Avalon Sobeys and Dominion stores.

Pool House Hours

Jul 23th to Jul 29th

• Saturday 12pm-6pm
• Sunday 12pm – 6pm
• Monday 6pm – 10pm
• Tuesday 6pm – 10pm
• Wednesday 6pm – 9pm
• Thursday 6pm – 10pm
• Friday 6pm – 10pm – Invitation only. We need experienced lantern makers and focused volunteers for the last night before festival.

It’s too late to build an elaborate personal lantern from scratch at the pool house, but we have many that you can adopt and repair. Repairing a lantern gives lantern enthusiasts excellent insight into what works and what doesn’t when putting a lantern together.

It is very easy to build a lantern from a tin can or a glass jar at home. We’ll have the glass jar workshop on the day of the festival, too.

Let there be light!

Rocket man, Simon Lono, built the “Rocket” lantern in 2009 and the up and coming amazing first time lantern maker, Steph Dunn created “Charlie” the seahorse. A couple of stars and a the little angel fish sculpture have been added for colour.

We hope these lanterns inspire folks to come on down to the Victoria Park Pool House before the Lantern Festival on July 30th to help us finish up lanterns for this year’s lantern installation.

The lanterns at the Rocket are just for display an are not for sale or auction; however, there will be lanterns for sale at the festival merchandise tent if you haven’t had time to make your own, and of course there will be the day of Last Chance Glass Jar workshop.

The count down to the festival has started and we need the community’s help to make the 11th annual lantern festival as beautiful as ever, so come out and adopt a lantern!

All are welcome!

Come bearing lanterns or rhythm makers! Come in costume and character! Come to enjoy the park and the community! Bring the family!

The Days Activities

2:00 PM

• Stage show
• Family activities
• Last Chance Glass Jar Workshop (3:00PM to 5:00PM)
• Barbeque
• Community Booths
• Fab festival merchandise including lanterns and tee shirts in the Festival Merchandise Tent

At Dusk

• Lighting of the lanterns
• Lantern Parade
• Hillside Lanterns display
• Fire show and Performance

• A simple bamboo lantern usually takes at least 2 evenings; more elaborate bamboo lanterns take more time.
• Balloon lanterns take three evenings.
• Decorated glass jar lanterns and pattern punctured tin can lanterns can be done in less than one evening.

Every type of lanterns can be a masterpiece. You just need to think about the light and then create always keeping the light in mind. How will the light interact with your chosen medium?

Pay what you can!

• Suggested donation for each workshop: $2.00
• Suggested donation for a unlimited workshop pass: $10.00
• Can’t pay? That’s ok, too. Everyone is welcome!

Lantern Repairs

Ask the festival coordinator or workshop volunteers about lantern repairs, too. We desperately need volunteers to do repairs.

Come to the Sprout Restaurant between July 4^th and August 1^st (2010) to enjoy an ambiance brought on by a change in the lighting. The glow of several hand-made lanterns sheds a new light on your dining experience. Better yet, these lanterns are up for silent auction. The money raised will go to the 2010 Lantern Festival for supplies and activities.

The Bidding takes place on site at the Sprout Restaurant

Volunteer artists and Lantern Festival enthusiasts have been working on these lanterns since April. You can place your bid on one or more of these fabulous food lanterns in the bidding binder on site at the Sprout Restaurant. Bidding closes Friday, July 23^rd, 2010 when The Sprout closes. This is the night before the Lantern Festival.

If these lanterns can’t get a bid out of you, hopefully they will inspire you to come on down to the Pool House in Victoria Park to build your own work of art for this year’s Lantern Festival.

The Lanterns and Artists of Sprouting Light

Tofu Tickler

Artist: Artists: Mike and Steph Minor

Tofu Tickler may seem kind of square (or at least rectangular) but he is a real hit with the ladies. Always self-conscious of his pale complexion, he spends much of his time sunning himself in Victoria Park or out at Topsail beach. As you can see this has had little effect. Nevertheless, Winona has had her eye on him for quite some time. Whatever you do don’t tell Winona that a tofu and watermelon sandwich isn’t exactly the Bravacado.

Winona Watermelon

Artist: Steph Minor

Cool and Collected, Winona Watermelon knows what she wants and always gets it. She is your best friend on a warm summer day, just make sure you spit out the seeds. She has a reputation for vanity, but all her beauty is natural. You can’t blame her for her good looks. Don’t believe the rumours that the Tickler and her are a romantic item. Winona simply can’t be tied down in a relationship right now. It is her time in the sun!

Sproutifix

Artist: Shannon Fraser

“Let the earth sprout vegetation…” Show your devotion to veggiedom with Sproutifix! Sproutifix is a gigantic rood of a lantern comprised of a candlelit shoot and two giant new leaves replete with lights of their own. Embrace Sproutism and this self-sacrificing sprout could be yours to rekindle each day.

C-F-A Star

Artist: Mike Minor

It has taken some time for the Star Fruit to acclimatize to the Newfoundland climate. He suffered a pretty rough go of the flu during his first month here. Now that summer has come he is much more at home but is still quite terrified of rain. You could tell him that he won’t melt but that isn’t technically true. Some lanterns just like warmer climates better. I know he’ll come around.

Wheel o’ Citrus

Artist: Shannon Fraser

This wheel’s aflame with citrus: part orange, part lemon, part lime and part grapefruit. Salvaged from the Lantern Festival’s Rescue Me! zone, Wheel o’ Citrus was once the wreckage of an unfulfilled drummer’s dream. Rebuilt with a solid core, multiple bamboo spokes and a lot of tissue paper and glue, Wheel o’ Citrus is the ideal lantern for citrus and circus fans everywhere. This lantern features solid bamboo construction, two hideaway candle access points, a spunky citrus leaf and some tart curb appeal.

Gourdilocks

Artist: Shannon Fraser

Goldilocks and her flaxen hair have nothing on this sunny, glowing squash lantern. Gourdilocks features the solid bamboo construction and precision paper stylings of her creator, a gradient colour shift from green to yellow and the sultry swagger that comes with knowing she is one of a kind. If the bicolour Cucurbita pepo lights your fire, this lantern is JUST RIGHT. Note: seeds and pulp are not included.

Eddie Edamame

Artist: Shannon Fraser

Sleek, green and oh-so-cute, Eddie Edamame will be your veggie visionary. Eddie Edamame is a pea-bean flavoured by the tensile properties of bamboo, enrobed by the luminous virility of apple green tissue, and coated with care by his ardent artist. Eddie Edamame sports an archetypal bamboo frame, precision papering, a trio of peas, and a lustrous, drum-tight pod.

The 24 hour carrot

Artist: Tali Smith

• Description: Carrot.
• Colours: green and orange.
• Shape: conical.
• Inspiration: A symbol of locally grown goodness that can brighten up any soup or stir fry.

Built with a very solid frame, papered with a layers of orange and topped with fuzzy green pipe-cleaners this bright carrot lantern can shine for you 24 hours a day.

Sleepy Time

Artist: Tali Smith

• Description: Star.
• Colours: yellow and blue-green.
• Shape: 5-pointed star.
• Inspiration: Childhood memories of my favourite herbal tea by Celestial Seasonings.

Sleepy Time is a well-built star frame with two layers of tissue paper. The blue on yellow makes a lovely greenish glow. Hand-cut little stars make this star twinkle. Let it brighten up your night.

Strawberry Field

Artist: Chris McCrowe

Let me tell you about Strawberry Field! Genderless and bursting with the energy of summer, this lantern is innovation from start to finish. Have a peek inside to see its construction. You can’t have summer without a couple of these delicious berries, make sure you don’t try to eat this one though. Strawberry Field forever!

Naked Grapes (Green)

Artist: Kathleen Parewick

These two lanterns go together like wine and cheese. They feature an elegant cluster of sturdy balloon lanterns, accented with wire leaves and vines. Hang them from your wall or your ceiling, garnish with string lights and enjoy. Good to the last drop!

Naked Grapes (Red)

Artist: Kathleen Parewick

These two lanterns go together like wine and cheese. They feature an elegant cluster of sturdy balloon lanterns, accented with wire leaves and vines. Hang them from your wall or your ceiling, garnish with string lights and enjoy. Good to the last drop!

Milk Fed, The Great Pumpkin

Artist: Julia Parewick

His friends like to call him “Milky” and he is wise beyond his years. Robustly constructed with a sturdy bamboo frame, Milky is built to last. He has been known to go whole winters without getting moldy. He is most comfortable on or near the ground. He gets his size from whole cows milk, his brother was named State Champion last year.