Circle of Art in Crystal Beach celebrates 10-year anniversary

At the first Friends of Crystal Beach (FOCB) Circle of Art event in 2015, 13 artists participated.

But a decade later, the event at Queen’s Circle boasted 45 vendors, 35 of them artists.

And those numbers were even higher before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, said FOCB vice-president and event coordinator Gayle Martineau, noting that about 65 artists took part in 2019.

“We’re slowly coming back up,” said Martineau on Saturday during the 10-year anniversary celebration of the event that included many types of creative minds.

About 200 people could be seen browsing what was being offered at noon as live music played from the bandshell.

“It’s a great community event,” said Martineau, adding Queen’s Circle is a “perfect venue for artists,” a looping roadway in Crystal Beach, a part of Greater Fort Erie that has seen a major revitalization in recent years with commercial and residential development.

In its heyday, the Crystal Beach Amusement Park was the place to be; a 100-year-old destination that gave its last ride in 1989.

Darrell Dennahower, a Windsor resident who grew up in Fort Erie, brought a collection of items inspired by the park including many reproductions of posters from concerts that took place there over the years.

“I went to the park a lot as a kid, and that’s where the passion comes from,” said Dennahower, who plans to sell his products online in the near future.

“It was a magical place when you were a kid from the area,” he said, estimating his last visit was 1985.

He said although the park has been gone for 35 years, it’s still a place that generates great nostalgia for people who spent time there.

“I think that’s the reason, because it’s gone,” he said.

Melani Pyke has been a local artist for about 20 years and has attended many Circle of Art events since its inception.

“It’s a nice way to connect with the community and share what I do, and inspire people that maybe want to get into art,” said Pyke, who also offers summer art camps for kids through the Fort Erie Arts Council.

Shirley Bruce, a Fort Erie resident, started with watercolours about five years ago and has been displaying her work at Beachcombers in Ridgeway.

She was happy to be reaching new people through Saturday’s event.

“I recognize a lot of people from the area, which is nice, too,” she said.

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