LIVE! At the Cotton Factory in Hamilton, Ontario, under the creative and progressive leadership of Leila Hess, president of the Hamiltoni Eesti Selts, the Board consisting of (in alphabetical order) Toomas Eichebaum, Rein Ende, Riina Knowles, Lisa Ross, Kairi West, and Krista Alexopoulos transformed the 3rd floor into a magical maze of offerings to wander and wonder through!
We were wowed by the carving out of ice by the Ice Guys of a 7 ft Viking ship right before our eyes in a few short hours. This live demonstration was graciously supported by the Northern Birch Credit Union, which continues to be a great supporter of our Estonian community. We are so appreciative of their support. They truly understand what it means to be a part and supporter of all things Eesti!
Once reaching our table, we were treated to a spread of beet gravlax expertly prepared by Erik Hess. Our seltsi hostesses went around the room with trays of pirukad for all to enjoy and provided a soup buffet of frikidelli (meatball), salmon, cabbage stew, sausage and sauerkraut, and a vegan roasted cauliflower soup to savour.
Vodka and beer tastings were available for the adventurous to try! Vodka samples consisting of two Ukrainian offerings – Zarkova and Neminoff, Finlandia, and our Estonian standard, Viru Valge. Sampling from our local brewer, Clifford, with four flights to tempt our palate.
It was so nice to see local breweries and wineries represented so well. It was wonderful to see the Selts also fundraising for “The Red House Reno” project to support a much needed renovation of the red house where the youngest campers stay at the Estonian Camp, Seedrioru.
For discerning art lovers there was an art auction consisting of a variety of young and seasoned artists who generously donated their work for this event. Thank you to Anne Remmel and Häli Puust, who were there to present their works in person. We also had donations from the personal collection of Lia Hess, Leila Hess, and Jaak Järve (Tevag Inc – Toronto Estonian Virtual Art Gallery) with original works from E. Ruberg, R.L. Marley, P. Kaups, among others and a print from Aksel Roosman. In addition, there was a second table of auction items donated by Chilly Moose, Jules Baskets, Wine Duo, and Hamilton Bulldogs. Truly – there was something for everyone!
And if that wasn’t enough – there was live entertainment!! The wild and wonderful entertainers on stilts from the Hamilton Aerial Group who weaved their way through the crowd handing out cards of old Estonian sayings and swinging on a suspended fabric hammock from the ceiling to add to the joy of the evening.
Last but not least, we were entertained by Kaja Reimagined featuring singer Liisa Käärid with Mihkel Liik on keyboard and harmony, offering a variety of music. Blues and pop favourites filled the hall, and it didn’t take long for people to make their way to the floor and dance the night away!
Truly this was a night to remember – an eclectic mix of all things Nordic and a chance to meet up with old friends and make new ones.
Kudos to the Hamiltoni Eesti Selts for thinking outside the box and bringing a fresh new perspective of our culture to savour and celebrate… a feast for the senses!
The future is in good hands – and I, for one, am smiling from ear to ear – happy to have enjoyed this special evening and can’t wait for what comes next!!
Elagu Hamiltoni Eesti Selts!! Elagu Eesti!!
