SHELBURNE – Shelburne’s Guild Hall will be getting some $25,000 worth of upgrades after the town received word they were successful applicants for a $12,500 grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage under the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.
The town will match the funding to provide floor monitors, microphones, security cameras, a portable dance floor, a projector and screen, stage curtains and weather wrapping for the Guild Hall.
“We are hoping to have everything in place for this summer,” said Julie Ferguson, clerk, special projects co-ordinator for the Town of Shelburne. “These additional elements might bring new users and community initiatives. Although the Guild Hall is a lovely outdoor space, the weather wrapping will help to ensure that events can go forward even in inclement weather.”
The Guild Hall is currently used for the weekly Saturday morning Farmer’s Market, numerous town events and the Guild Hall Summer Arts Series.
The open-air building is also available to rent for weddings, parties, reunions and all sorts of other activities, said Ferguson, noting some events have fees while others do not. Fees from rentals go back into the Guild Hall for events that are free to the public, she said, adding more information can be found on the town’s website.
This year the Guild Hall Summer Arts Series is going to start June 6 and run until Aug. 25. The series features 14 shows that are free to the public. Most shows take place on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. but there are a few that are on different days to accommodate touring artists, said Ferguson.
“We are excited to welcome three acts from Ontario, one from New Brunswick, and showcase lots of Nova Scotian talent,” she said. “It was a record year for applications to perform and that was very exciting to see.”
The Guild Hall Summer Arts Series schedule can be found on the Guild Hall website.
