The department of recreation, culture, and wellness develops vibrant and dynamic cultural projects and programs. With our partners, our goal is to develop a creative community and a place of discovery, learning and exploration for all residents and visitors. Learn more by viewing our Cultural Master Plan and our many Festivals and Events.

Ballroom Dance Social

The next Ballroom Dance Social is planned for Saturday June 8th, 2024. 

Doors open at 6:30pm. Dance to begin at 7:00pm. 
Comedy Night in Pelham

The next Comedy Night in Pelham - Saturday, October 19, 2024!
Meridian Community Centre - 100 Meridian Way, Fonthill.

Time & Location

October 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Pelham, 100 Meridian Way, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6, Canada

Comedy Night in Pelham returns with another great night of laughs headlined by the hilarious Chris Locke!

Winner of the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-Up, Chris Locke is an esteemed comedic actor, writer and performer hailing from Toronto. Best known for his standout roles on popular shows such as Run the Burbs (CBC), What We Do in the Shadows (FX), Baroness Von Sketch Show (IFC), and Mr. D (CBC).

When Chris is not acting and writing he is a regular touring stand up performing at comedy clubs, theatres, and festivals which include multiple TV tapings at Just For Laughs Montreal, Headlining sets at JFL42 (Toronto), and appearances at Bridgetown Comedy Festival (Portland), SF Sketchfest (San Francisco), and more. Chris’s stand up plays regularly on SiriusXM radio. He can also be heard frequently spouting his unique brand of silly wit and whimsy on CBC’s The Debaters, and CBC Laugh Out Loud. 

“One of Canada’s staggeringly original comedians.” – VICE.ca

This laugh packed evening hosted by David Green will also feature special guests Wes Zaharuk and Fonthill's own Bernie Law.

Doors open at 7pm Show at 8pm

This is a 19+ event and there will be a licensed bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available.

For more info and details please call 289-668-3425 
Purchase Tickets Here

Join us for another memorable evening of laughs!

Visit www.gardencitycomedyfestival.com  
Culture Days
The Town of Pelham have prepared to provide a safe, yet interactive experiences taking place during Culture Days this year. Culture Days is a Canada-wide celebration that is the largest-ever public participation campaign undertaken by the arts and cultural community in this country. Culture Days features FREE activities that invite the public to participate in interactive arts and culture experiences.

The next national Culture Days will be taking place September 20 through October 13, 2024.

 Drum Circle - with Mark Chindemi
Wednesday September 25, 2024 | 4-5pm
Accursi Room, Meridian Community Centre
This drumming program invites community members to join in a collective group experience, led by an instructor, using various drums and percussion from around the world.  This non-verbal experience allows participants to express themselves on various levels, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.  Participants will learn various rhythms and techniques to aid them throughout the session and for future experience.  No experience is necessary.  Join this collective experience, to not only bring a more positive vibe into the world, but also your own life.
All Equipment is provided.  
Limited spaces available.
Register Here
 National Day of Truth & Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day
Monday September 30th, 2024 | All Day
Various Locations through out the Town of Pelham
For more information, visit pelham.ca/sept30
Painting Workshop with Beverly Sneath

Wednesday October 2, 2024 | 7-9pm
Kinsmen Room, Meridian Community Centre
Led by local Pelham artist Beverly Sneath, participants will create a painting. 
All Equipment is provided.  
Limited spaces available. 
Registration closed. Workshop has reached capacity.
 Family Music Time

Monday October 7, 2024 | 11am-Noon

Sing, move and play! Children are introduced to music and movement concepts through songs and games. Together we will explore pitch, tempo, and timbre, learn respect for instruments and each other, and of course, get up and move, move, move. Classes will always have an emphasis on movement and play and have age-appropriate expectations for all children.

This class has a primary focus on ages 3 -6, however younger siblings, from birth, are welcome.

One parent/guardian required per family. 
No Registration is required.
All equipment is provided.
 SAY IT! on Stage - Seniors and Youth Intergenerational Theatre On Stage

 SAY IT! On Stage 

Seniors and Youth Intergenerational Theatre

www.sayitonstage.com

2023 - Roundabout Now Performance

Discover the live-on-stage community theatre performance of "Roundabout Now". Free to attend, limited seating available.


Two Performances | Free Admission

Meridian Community Centre | 100 Meridian Way, Fonthill

Saturday, November 18th 3:00pm in the Atrium

Sunday, November 19th 3:00pm in the Accursi Room

 

 

Imagine if you could meet your younger self. Would you still be able to relate to how you saw the world then, and what you hoped for your future? Come share in our magical mystery tour of a show. We'll take you to the past and to the future. But, don't worry. We'll bring you back to the present day before our carnival draws to a close. Or, at least you'll end up somewhere Roundabout Now.

The Roundabout Now performance is made possible through the generous support of Help Age Canada. 

 

A special thank you to the team of students from Niagara College who assisted in capturing the performance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 More about SAY IT! on Stage
 say it logo

SAY IT! On Stage. “SAY IT” stands for “Seniors and Youth Intergenerational Theatre”.

It is a program designed to strengthen connections and encourage collaboration between teens and their elders. The Town of Pelham, students from E.L. Crossley High School, and community volunteers will be apart of this exciting creative process that will finish in the performance of an original dramatic production. Performance Dates and delivery change with each production. 

Through intergenerational conversation circles, senior participants will have the opportunity to share anecdotes and experiences from their lives; these stories will provide the foundation for a play that will be produced and performed by both youth and senior participants.

This initiative also seeks to showcase the broad range of talents and passions individuals bring to the project – music, dance, visual arts, crafts, trades. Our aim is to involve the community of Pelham in all of its diversity, including Indigenous presence and storytelling approaches.

 

We hope you will join us in this artistic endeavour.
  Goals of SAY IT! on Stage
  Goals of the Project: 
  • To provide opportunities for seniors to share their life stories
  • To validate and celebrate the life experiences of seniors within our community
  • To foster connections between seniors and youth through storytelling and drama activities
  • To encourage collaboration between high school students and seniors as they create, rehearse, and perform community theatre
  • To offer co-op placement and community involvement opportunities for high school students
  • To enrich cultural life for all residents of Pelham with a new performance arts initiative

 

 2022 Project - Stories Found
Live On-stage Performance - Nov 5 & 6, 2022

Meridian Community Centre (MCC)

 

Link to the Live Recording of Stories Found - November 5 2022 

 

SAY IT! On Stage. “SAY IT” stands for Seniors and Youth Intergenerational Theatre. The program creates connections and encourages collaboration between people of all ages and circumstances. Through intergenerational conversation circles, participants share experiences from their lives; these stories provide the foundation for the live on-stage performance of "Stories Found." 

"A little antique and curiosity shop in a small town holds a multitude of memories. Step through the door with us. Precious moments from people’s lives will be experienced anew, rediscovered through objects that call them to mind. The value of material possessions cannot always be measured in dollars and cents. What really counts is the richness of the experiences that they represent. Stuff is the stories that we are made of."

  
 Unearthed - An Original Radio Play (2020 -2021 Project)
 

microphone

The second season of SAY IT! On Stage had us exploring new ways to be creative and stay connected. No longer able to meet in person, we have congregated in Zoom rooms, experimenting with a hybrid theatre art: old-time radio plays performed on a videoconferencing app of our own technological age. The project is as intergenerational as the participants!

recording a podcast group in large room with dividers 

​After months of meeting weekly to read through vintage scripts, we set to work creating a radio play of our own. Rehearsing from a living document in a virtual venue had its challenges, but neither unstable internet connections nor endless electronic versions of a monster draft document could deter us. 

 

With all the safety precautions, and when restrictions allowed, the group was able to record all of the performers' voices. When all the scenes had been read through and each sound effect included, the editing began!  The final result is the radio play..."Unearthed" 

 

 Shovel in Ground Unearthed Podcast

 

With the sound of sirens, the sleepy little town is awakened. Nothing ever happens there. Until it does...

 

Come along and help our armchair detectives unravel a delicious tangle of suspects and clues.

 

Listen to the original Radio Play Here.

 

 

 

 

 
Pelham Big Band Dance Night – Featuring the Jimmy Marando Swing Band
The Jimmy Marando Swing Band was formed in 1965 in Welland, Ontario by Jimmy Marando.
The band is still in 'full swing', bringing the best hits of the 30's through 70's to audiences throughout Niagara and beyond.
They continue to bring back musical memories of days when audiences danced to swing, jazz and classic (ballroom) standards. These include the best of Glen Miller, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Broadway, Latin, and much more. Featuring guest vocalists.

 

Pelham Big Band Dance Night Featuring the Jimmy Marando Swing Band runs the third* Tuesday of every month in the Accursi Room at the Meridian Community Centre. 

 

2024 Event Schedule:

January 16

February 20

March 19

April 16

May 21

June 18

July 16

August 20

September 17

October 15

November 19

December 17

 

Free admission

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the band plays from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Donations are welcome for the band.

Bar services are available; food and drink are cash only.

 

 

 

Learn more about the band here.
Meridian Community Centre Art Exhibit Rental 

We invite artists of all backgrounds and styles to exhibit their masterpieces and connect with a diverse community of art enthusiasts. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting on your creative journey, our platform welcomes the unique stories and perspectives that each piece of art brings. Share your passion, engage with fellow artists, and let your creativity shine on our welcoming platform. If you would like to display your artwork here at the Meridian Community Centre. Please apply below!

 

MCC Hallway Application

MCC Atrium Application

 Artist Directory

Call for Local Arts Professionals and Facilitators:

The Town of Pelham is creating a local online artist directory. The directory will be utilized for any future opportunities for artists in Pelham.  

In addition, the online directory may be available to the general public to discover local artisans, performers, teachers, art, music, photography, etc.

Artists of all mediums are encouraged to apply to the online directory.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be 18 years or older or have parent/guardian consent.
  • Persons with disabilities, visible minorities and Indigenous artists are encouraged to apply.
  • Applicants must reside in Pelham or have a Pelham based business.
  • All levels of experience and mediums are encouraged to submit an application. 

Terms and Conditions

  • The Town of Pelham is not responsible for any damages that may occur.
  • Information provided will be accessible by the general public.
  • Information provided from this application may be used as part of an online directory.
  • At any point you may request to be removed from the directory.
  • Completion of an annual participant form will be required to maintain up to date information.  

 

Painting 
 
Sculpture
 
Mixed Media
 
Photography
 
Drama 
 
Musical
 
Vocal
 
Other 
 

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