the tough questions
All posts tagged "jackson high school"
first friday january
It really always surprises me just how many people show up to the colder First Fridays. At least, it seems like there are always big crowds when it’s freezing. On the other hand, we might all just be hanging out in the same areas to try to stay warm.
There was only one place to hang out to stay warm this (pseudo-)First Friday. The theme might’ve been “Fire and Ice,” but most of us were content to hang around the fire. There were a couple that dared to dance with it, though.
The Jackson majorettes spun flaming batons for a quick show before running back to coats for warmth. Definitely pretty cool, though I wish my camera had behaved a little better to capture a few of these shots.
Some Canton South students also had the chance to show off some art that wasn’t as volatile.
I’m a big fan of that swan in the center; I also liked a dolphin over by 2nd April Gallery (that I mistook from across the street to be a bear; sorry!).
Beyond the art in that gallery, Anderson Creative was doing a really neat show called Blind Date, in which writers and artists paired words and images for an overall effect. I really want to take the time to read some of the work if I get the chance before it comes down.
My favorite work of the night was an ice chimney that brought the elements together in a strange blaze. I’m still not exactly sure how it works, but it was amazing.
light up downtown
Even though it took me 20 minutes to find a parking space and cold rain was drizzling over everything, Light Up Downtown, put on by the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, managed to brighten an otherwise dreary December night for me.
I showed up a little bit late for the stage show about Christopher Pop-In-Kins (for which I am, admittedly, a little old), but was marching through the street right when the lights burst on and fireworks started fighting the rain. Instant smile.
Lots of local school groups got a chance to show off, too. There were choirs from at least three schools, though I only really saw the Jacks-N-Jills of Jackson High School. With the stage show, there were dance teams and even faux Rockettes.
Honestly, my favorite part about the night was the same thing that I end up liking about First Fridays during the winter: no matter how cold it really is, there are enough people out doing things that there’s sort of a heat in the crowd. There are some times when I’m down there for events like this where I’m fooled into thinking that Canton is a much larger city than it really is.
The holiday lights will be up for a while, so take some time to go check them out before Christmas comes around.
