Whit’s on this weekend?

Orktoberfest

Vikings, music, beer — it’s all happening in Stromness this weekend, as the town is set to celebrate its own Orcadian version of Octoberfest.

Orktoberfest will bring a more Norse feel to the traditional German ale festival.

“It’s Octoberfest with a bit of a difference, so we’re going for a more Scandic feel, rather than Germanic,” explained organiser Gareth Crichton, of the Royal Hotel and Ferry Inn.

“So we’ve turned it into a Viking event! It’s partly to time in with the visit of the South Mainland Up Helly Aa Squad from Shetland. They’ve been coming to us for the last three years as part of their team-building — not in suits, but just having a bit of fun and taking their music with them.

“This year, their jarl, Liam Mullay will be the guizer jarl, so we said we would have them back again — but this time suited and booted! So we’ve created a bit of an event around them.

“We were also conscious that there was no longer a beer festival running in Orkney. There’s gin and there is wine, but there has not been a beer festival for a number of years — and that used to be quite a good weekend in Stromness.

“Again, folk had been at us to try and get that off the ground, so we though there was an opportunity to combine activities. So there will be that Octoberfest beerhall feel, along with a wee taste of Up Helly Aa.”

With hopes of attracting folk from across the county, Orktoberfest will bring together a set of events involving beer, music and a traditional jarl squad parade — lit by torches.

Orktoberfest will see Royal Hotel transformed into a beer hall, with a spectacular range of local, regional and international cask, keg and bottled beers available.

On Friday, there will be a ticketed Viking banquet — with traditional meats and ales, followed by live music in the evening from Bad Apple.

On Saturday, there will be a virtual tour of Swannay Brewery on the big screen, and a chance to see a jarl squad display galley, followed by the main event of the festival — a fiery procession and bonfire, with the South Mainland Jarl Squad and Stromness Royal British Legion Pipe Band.

Beginning at 5pm at the Pierhead, the parade will march along to the South End, and at 6pm a bonfire, courtesy of Chris Thomas of Stenigar, will be lit on the shore at Ness. Gareth hopes folk attending this event will take the opportunity to light a torch for charity. Traditional torches are available to purchase from the Ferry Inn, with proceeds going to CLAN Cancer Support.

Saturday night will finish with music from The Cartel at the beer hall.

Orktoberfest concludes on the Sunday, beginning with the first annual Orkney Arm-Wrestling Championship, supported by Strength 101, beginning at 1pm. The evening will bring a BBQ on the terrace, and a final traditional music session.

To find out more about the event, keep an eye on the Royal Hotel’s Facebook page. Charity torches can be purchased by donating £10 on www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/torchlightwalkstromness and can be collected from the Ferry Inn on Saturday, October 26, at 4pm.

• Here at The Orcadian, we recently launched a CLAN fundraiser ourselves — with the aim of raising £10,000 to help the charity extend and enhance the support it offers within Orkney. Orktoberfest organiser Gareth Crichton has kindly agreed that all donations made into the charity buckets at the parade itself will go directly to our OUTREACH4CLAN campaign. You can also donate to this campaign by visiting www.justgiving.com/fundraising/orcadian-4-clan

Orkney Storytelling Festival

The nights are drawing in and the leaves are falling from the trees, so it’s the time of year — once again — that Orkney’s storytelling community gears up for the biggest event of the year.

October 24-27 sees the Orkney Storytelling Festival in its tenth consecutive year, and more exciting than ever according to organiser Fran Flett Hollinrake.

She said: “I’m delighted that we have reached this milestone, and we have some real treats in store.”

This year’s festival welcomes three outstanding storytellers from (nearly) all corners of the world. Mara Menzies has Kenyan and Scottish heritage, and Orkney folk will remember her previous visit to Orkney (as part of Black History Month) with pleasure. A Scot now living in Derbyshire, Gordon MacLellan brings tales and poems of animals and the wonders of the natural world. And from Canada, First Nations storyteller, singer and songwriter Robert Seven Crows Bourdon will bring magic from across the Atlantic.

In addition to the visiting guests, there is an array of local talent on show. Tom Muir, Marita Lück and Fran Flett Hollinrake will be performing and hosting events. Fran is joined by Erin Farley and Scott Gardiner, festival regulars, to bring readings, stories and songs in a specially-devised coach tour of Orkney’s literary highlights. Also new for this year, school librarian and Dungeonmistress Frances Sinclair will be running a session of the popular role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, with the scenarios based on Orkney Folklore.

As Tom explains, the festival also visits a different island every year.

“Over the years, we’ve been to quite a few of the islands,” he said.

“This is a return trip to Shapinsay, and we’ve got a children’s workshop in the morning, followed by a performance with all our visiting storytellers in the afternoon. It gives them a chance to see another island, and it means the folk there don’t have to travel to see a great show.”

To find out more, you can visit www.orkneystorytellingfestival.co.uk

Gnoss @ The Sound Archive

Folk favourites Gnoss are set to make a return to Orkney this weekend, for performances in Kirkwall and Hoy.

The group is revelling in success, having recently been longlisted for Best Album at the Scottish Trad Awards, after the release of their acclaimed album Drawn from the Deep Water.

Gnoss will be playing in The Sound Archive on Friday night, and the Gable End Theatre on Saturday evening. They will be joined by their friend Tiernan Courell in place of Connor — who is away competing at The Glenfiddich Piping Championship. For further information, you can visit www.gnossmusic.com

Wellpark Christmas Open Evening

October 25, 2019 6:00 pm

Wellpark Garden Centre will be holding a Christmas Open Evening, this Friday night.

The store will be open from 6pm and full of festive treats to enjoy. Visitors will be able to see the shop’s brand new Christmas displays and special offers. Coffee and cake will also be available, along with tastings and mulled wine — plus live music.

There will be excitement for all the family, as the soft play area is open until 8pm.