New season at Mary Webb Center kicks off Saturday

Joel Plaskett, Bedouin Soundclash and Alan Frew are some of the musical acts visiting the Mary Webb Center for the Arts during its upcoming season.

Advertisement 2

Article content

Royal Wood will kick off the Highgate venue’s 2024-25 calendar on Saturday. The Juno-nominated songwriter will perform at 8 pm, with the licensed bar opening at 6:30 pm and doors to the concert hall opening at 7 pm

The Mary Webb Center is located in the former Highgate United Church, built in 1918. The church building is a local landmark. There’s just one other church with a similar design in North America.

The church was slated to close in 2009, and a group of locals came together to turn it into a music venue and arts center.

An extension to make the facility fully accessible was finished in 2018 using $800,000 in grants and donations.

The building’s stained glass dome was recently removed to be “completely refurbished,” an email from Mary Webb Center officials said.

Advertisement 3

Article content

“We are proud to be an example of how, with hard work, community support and perseverance, heritage buildings can be saved, restored and repurposed,” the email said.

Past performers have included Jim Cuddy, Steven Page, Murray McLachlan, Ian Thomas, Jimmy and Heather Rankin, Sarah Harmer and Glass Tiger.

For ticket information, visit www.marywebbcentre.ca.

The Mary Webb Centre’s 2024-25 schedule:

  • Sept. 21: Royal Wood
  • Oct. 26: The Rowdymen
  • Nov. 30: Joel Plaskett (sold out)
  • Dec. 14: Natalie Macmaster and Donnell Leahy and Family
  • Jan. 18: Bedouin Soundclash
  • Feb. 8: Jeremy and Jazzy (children’s entertainers)
  • Feb. 22: The Laws
  • March 22: Jimmy Rankin and Friends – East Coast Kitchen Party
  • April 26: Alan Frew
  • May 9-10: Comedy Festival with Steve Patterson

Article content

pso1