• ROTARY TOUR OF HOMES - @ Various around St. Thomas | Nov. 8-10 
• CANADALE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE - @ Canadale | weekends in November
• PARADE OF POINSETTIAS - @ Family Flowers | Nov. 14-16
• SANTA CLAUS PARADE - @ Downtown St. Thomas | Nov. 16
• WINTERSCAPING WORKSHOP - @ Wildflowers Farm | Nov. 17, 30 & Dec. 3 
• HOOP WREATH & MESH WREATH WORKSHOP - @ Purely Wicked | Nov. 23
• CHRISTMAS IN HOGSMEADE - @ Purely Wicked | Nov. 23
• ​​SANTA TREATS TRAIN RIDE - @ Port Stanley Terminal Rail | Nov. 23-24, 30 Dec. 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22
• EAT DRINK CREATE HOLIDAY EDITION - @ St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre | Nov. 29
• DICKENS DAY PARADE - @ Port Stanley | Nov. 29
• DOWNTOWN SANTA - @ Downtown St. Thomas | Dec. 7
• CHRISTMAS IN HOGSMEADE - @ Purely Wicked | Dec. 8​​

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Believe it or not, winter is coming. We are ready and hope you are too! For those of us who like to hunker down indoors awaiting the arrival of Spring, this post is for you.

We have pulled together all the top creative spots in St. Thomas to inspire you over the long winter months. For those who are ready to dig in and get dirty, or those that want to sit back and be transported, we hope you can find something to make the cold days just a little warmer!
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St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre
The St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre's objective is to encourage and promote an appreciation for, and support the practice of the visual arts in St. Thomas and area. The Art Centre has programs for both adults and kids, as well as rotating exhibitions and is a fantastic resource for the seasoned professional or the aspiring artist!

Romantic Designs Artist Studio
Experience the Fantasy World of Romantic Designs Artist Studio.  The studio offers year-round workshops and classes in a variety of mediums, for beginners and beyond. 
 
​Little Red Mitten
The Mitten is a space to take a break from your busy life and nurture your creative spirit amongst a like-minded creative community. We want to show you how you can use the therapeutic and meditative qualities of creation to promote self-care and personal growth, all while exercising skills in knitting, weaving, crochet, and more!

Elgin Theatre Guild
The Elgin Theatre Guild was founded in 1967 and continues operating to this day producing 4 plays per year. The Guild lives in the historic Princess Avenue Playhouse, and also organizes a robust live music schedule. Theatre camps and workshops are also held throughout the year.

Railway City Brewing
Nearly every Saturday you can find live music at the Brewery's tap room. A great place to sit back with some friends, enjoy a pint and amazing tunes! If you are looking to flex your creative muscles, Paint Nite's are hosted once per month as well. 

Railway City Arts Crawl
This event is a MUST for everyone and anyone! The Railway City Arts Crawl is a FREE winter event celebrating local arts and culture. Set in various venues throughout St. Thomas Ontario, participants are given a passport to guide them to the sites and help them explore.

Laing Studios
This artist run studio is run by Grayden Laing and specializes in film production, photography, commercial art, animation, and fine art. Grayden teaches private and group classes and encourages anyone to pop by the studio to chat about any and every potential project and collaboration! Stop by, and you won't be disappointed! 
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Medlyn Studio​
Medlyn's has been a staple in the community for many years and has evolved to incorporate new collaboration efforts! Find stained glass, designer lighting, wrought iron, jewellery and more! All works created at the studio are as unique as you are, and starts with a concept, a pencil and paper.

Slate
Slate is an unique experience conceived by a small creative team that sees the world a little bit differently. They strive to bring back life to objects once forgotten and present them with a fresh and functional purpose. In a world of mass production, waste and uniformity Slate shows the alluring appeal of once abandoned objects that will expand the horizon of your imagination!

All the art studios and galleries have a gift shop or items for sale. But if you are looking to expand beyond our list and expand your winter retail therapy, check out these amazing local shops that feature artisan and locally made items!

Full list here - Artisan Shopping

​Take a trip through spooky St. Thomas. Visit some creepy spaces, learn some local lore, and even hear a ghost story or two!

From April to October, explore Ontario’s heritage treasures at free public events across the province. Satisfy your curiosity and get behind normally closed doors to experience intriguing interiors, where you will be inspired by rare and exceptional materials, craftsmanship and design. From historical houses to modern marvels of construction, Doors Open Ontario has something for everyone - All Free of Charge.

St. Thomas’ Doors Open is coming up Saturday, October 5th from 10am-4pm and will feature some unique sites and activities with a fun “spooky” theme. This includes special activities such as ghost stories from Rail City Theatre on the train, tarot readings by Purely Wicked at Lemons Pharmacy, nighttime star gazing at the Elevated Park, and Capture Paranormal at the L&PS Station.
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WHAT IS IT?
​Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture. At the end of each September, millions of people attend thousands of participatory arts and culture events across the country. Culture Days programs invite the public to get hands-on and behind-the-scenes to highlight the importance of arts and culture in our communities.

St. Thomas is coming alive with street art!

What better time to celebrate our burgeoning street art scene, than during a national cultural celebration? The answer is, there isn't a better time! 

What you get: An open-house style event, pop by anytime to Moore and Talbot Street and view the recently completed boxcar murals, and see chalk artist Will Graham with some select students create a street art masterpiece right on the street!

When: September 28th from 9am-5pm with a special announcement + ribbon cutting at 4:30pm.

Where: Right on the street! Find the celebration at Moore and Talbot Street downtown St. Thomas (right across from our headquarters at 605 Talbot Street).

Some of St. Thomas’ trails are elevated, others follow routes of the aboriginals and explorers, and some are rail trails. Whether you like to enjoy these beautiful St. Thomas trails with your family, your furry friend, or become one with nature all on your own, be sure to check out this exciting event and rediscover your community by foot!

Save the date for an all-inclusive City-Wide Trails Open event to be held on Saturday September 14th in St. Thomas! This FREE open house style event will run from 10:00am - 8:00pm at Pinafore Park, Waterworks Park and the St. Thomas Elevated Park.

​Enjoy the new trails along with some local healthy snacks, outdoor yoga, guided walks -  including a ‘Superhero Walk’ around Lake Margaret, local musicians, nature walks, prizes and much more! This event is open to all ages and abilities. See the itinerary below.

​EVENT INFO: Facebook Event
AGES: All ages
LOCATIONS: Pinafore Park | Waterworks Park | St. Thomas Elevated Park

A partnership between the City of St. Thomas, Southwestern Public Health, and local developers including Hayhoe Homes and Doug Tarry Homes, has helped make St. Thomas more walkable.

Please bring a reusable water bottle as there will be drinking water available at the event.

Discover a trail near you at: http://www.activeelgin.ca/st-thomas-trail-system
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Relish Harvest is a Farm-to-Table dinner overlooking the vistas of the Kettle Creek Valley on 'Canada's Highline' at the St. Thomas Elevated Park.

Enjoy the bounty of the harvest prepared by area chefs while you watch the sunset over the fields and forests of Elgin County. Included with your tickect : Las Chicas Coffee, a Signature Cocktail, and a 4 Course Dinner.

Tickets will go fast for this exclusive once-in-a-lifetime dinner.
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​Signature Cocktail by Wildflowers Farm

• Orchard Mule: a local twist on the classic Mule with vodka, sage, ginger beer, apple cider and finished off with allspice bitters

Appetizers by Killdeer Food Co.

• Cornbread with Roy Calais Heirloom Cornmeal + Honey Butter
• German Potato Salad with Harvest Moon Mustard
• Sweet Corn + Cucumber Salad with Fresh Cheese

Locally sourced from Wildflowers Honey, Orchard Hill Farm, Harvest Moon Mustard, Our Fields, Common Ground Farm, Debakere Farm Market, Hope Eco Farms.

Main by the Windjammer Inn

• Slow roasted Celtic Ridge Beef served medium rare with herb Chimmichurri Sauce
• Vegetarian option of Tofu Ricotta Stuffing + Portobello Mushroom Caps

Locally sourced from Common Ground Farm, Orchard Hill Farm, Our Fields and Debackere Farm Market.
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Dessert by Elgin Harvest

• Fruit Hand Pies

Locally sourced Lac Chicas roasted coffee, Oak Manor Farms, butter and cream, farm fresh eggs, raspberries + season fruit.

Big things are happening in St. Thomas as the city prepares for the 2020 BC Eastern Qualifier, that will be held in the historic CASO Station. Maria Fiallos of Las Chicas Del Cafe and Streamliners Espresso Bar spearheaded the effort to bring this exciting event to St. Thomas. And it took a lot of effort – a Qualifying round has never taken place outside a major city like Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver, so Maria had to campaign for St. Thomas as an ideal location.

Hosted by Las Chicas Del Cafe and community partners, this will be a monumental event for the region and for the Canadian Chapter of the SCA. Maria has organized an entire weekend surrounding the event - with dinners, keynote speakers, throw-downs, transportation, accommodation and activities all taken into consideration. The competition - nicknamed ‘Steam’ - will be open to the public for viewing.

​We’ve pieced together everything you need to know about this exciting event coming to St. Thomas from September 8-10th.

What is a Barista Competition?

It’s an annual event that brings talented, both old and new, baristas together to showcase their skills, amazing coffee and innovative practices. It is a nerve-wracking experience for the baristas participating in the competition. They have to focus on producing amazing-tasting, well-extracted, perfectly balanced espresso-based drinks that hit all of the sensory marks, under intense scrutiny, while delivering a confident and engaging presentation, keeping their work space clean, and meeting industry standards of professionalism, all within a strict fifteen-minute time limit.

Barista competitions have played an important role in the coffee community for several reasons. Firstly, they serve as a place where like-minded specialty coffee enthusiasts can come together to share knowledge about specialty coffee, ask questions, meet new people, and make connections in the coffee industry.

Secondly, competitions encourage innovation and promote new developments in specialty coffee. Coffees are sourced from the very best producers around the world and are chosen for the competition with quality in mind. Participants are often sponsored by coffee roasters who meticulously develop roast profiles to highlight the unique characteristics of the coffees. Baristas use cutting-edge brew methods and often develop new and exciting drinks while pushing their technical skills to new levels of perfection.
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Specialty Coffee Association

The Specialty Coffee Association is built on foundations of openness, inclusivity and the power of shared knowledge, we act as a unifying force within the Specialty Coffee industry – invested in creating a worldwide circle of like-minded professionals.

Unified but not uniform, we celebrate and nurture diversity. We understand the importance of local knowledge and strive to connect every individual with the resources to improve their opportunities and make their voices heard on a global stage.

Representing a global pool of experience and talent, we are our members and together we work towards a better, more sustainable future for each and every one of us – wherever in the world we are.

Canadian Chapter of the SCA

The Canadian Chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association is a National Chapter of the SCA. We are registered as a non-profit organization in Alberta. The National Coordinators are considered to be ‘board members’ of the organization and are elected by the membership every two years in May. There is limited oversight from the SCA in terms of governing the way each country’s chapter is run. This allows the Canadian Chapter to represent Canadian members in the most flexible and nimble way possible. We are here to #makecoffeebetter.