Arts and Culture
Summer or winter, Festival Antigonish at the Bauer Theatre is the place to enjoy live theatre. You are welcome to participate on stage and behind the scenes. The Performing Arts Series brings some of Canada’s best performers for Classical/Chamber Music. Join our local community choir Antigonish Choral Ensemble or one of the many church choirs.
Traditional Ceilidh events are a great way to experience the traditional music of the area with fiddle and piano and Scottish dancers of all ages. Ceilidhs are held at the Antigonish Heritage Museum, Pipers Pub, the Townhouse and other venues.
The Arts House “A Space to Create” offers youth and adult classes in pottery, painting and a variety of craft workshops. Explore the galleries on Main Street and at St FX. Art in the Park, the Summer Art Fair is a popular venue to enjoy entertainment and meet the many artists.
The People’s Place – Antigonish Town and County Library is a hub of activity for all ages from babies to seniors. A monthly art display in the Bistro area features local artists. The bulletin board at the entrance is a great place to check out what is on in town.
St FX offers courses, lectures, events and facilities for everyone, giving us the broader culture of a much larger community.
Sign up for the Antigonish Culture Alive e-newsletter to get regular postings on events or check their online calendar. In September this organization hosts a free, interactive contemporary arts festival, Antigonight Art After Dark, bringing visual and performing artists from the Atlantic Region and beyond.
Antigonish Heritage Museum
Interested in everything that is Highland Games? Come join us for the oldest continuous Highland Games in the world outside of Scotland, running since 1863. For generations the Scottish way of life has been maintained in eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. The language, the traditions, music, dances and songs of the Gael, along with feats of strength and excellence continue to flourish at the Highland Games at Antigonish. Each July, hundreds of musicians, dancers and athletes perform and compete in this grand festival.
The Antigonish Heritage Museum is a great place to learn about this history of Antigonish. Lectures, ceilidhs and knowledgeable staff will give you an understanding of the culture and background of the area.
Located just 15 minutes from Antigonish is Paqtnkek First Nation. The name Paqtnkek, (buck-ten-keg) meaning “by the Bay”, is a distinction emphasizing the importance of the local Bay and it’s resource to the Mi’Kmaw people.
Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!)
Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) began at the Sustainable Antigonish table in 2013, with an exploration into the role of culture in community health and resilience. AHA!, a team of artists, health care workers and educators, began seeking ways to foster creativity as a path to individual and community health. In the past 6 years, AHA! has discovered myriad ways the arts contribute to wellbeing, creating over 20 arts-based programs, and engaging thousands of people across the lifespan in arts-health programs. Because of AHA’s roots in the sustainability movement, the emphasis of programming is with people with less access to the arts, those in transition, isolated, ill or vulnerable in other ways: youth, seniors, minorities, immigrants, those in hospital and long term care facilities. Each November, Arts-Health Month is celebrated with community workshops, guest speakers and productions. See artshealthantigonish.org for more about AHA!
