Saturday Cafe
2025-11-22 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-29 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto)

Balfolk Fiddle and Mandolin Tunes Workshop
2025-11-23 10:00 - 12:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Balfolk Fiddle and Mandolin Tunes Workshop by Vinta musicians Nathan Smith and Emilyn Stam
Presented in cooperation with the Bright Strings Community Fiddle Orchestra
For intermediate to advanced fiddlers and mandolinists
Cost $25 – to reserve your seat in the workshop contact
Cindy McCall 613-278-2448
Cindy.fiddlemusic.mccall@gmail.com

Vinta
2025-11-23 14:00 - 16:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Vinta is a “chamber folk quartet” consisting of Nathan Smith, Emilyn Stam, John David Williams, and Robert Alan Mackie, all exceptionally talented multi-instrumentalists, music scholars and close friends. Vinta’s musical inspiration starts with cherry-picked gems from European traditional music, breathing new energy into old tunes with creative, dynamic ensemble arrangements and brilliant musicianship. Their original compositions build on this foundation, creating a seamless body of work that is delightfully joyful and irresistibly moving.
Since formally joining forces in 2020, word has spread quickly and kept Vinta busy with performances at the Mariposa Folk Festival, Gatineau Hills Fiddle Festival, Campbell Bay Music Fest, Algoma Trad, Blue Skies Music Festival, Summerfolk Festival, LeGrand Bal du Quebec, Guelph Jazz Festival in addition to touring France, Belgium and Germany. Their first full-length album of original music “Beacons” received the Canadian Folk Music Award for Instrumental Composers of the Year, 2024.
CLICK HERE for more information and videos.
Tickets are available at TicketsPlease.ca
Thanks to the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council we are able to offer a $20 discount to those 30 and under, and if they wish, an additional $20 discount for their “guest” of any age.
Regular – 31 years & older: $35 plus fees
Discount Single – 30 years & under: $15 plus fees
Discount Pair – 30 years & under with guest of any age (2 tickets): $30 plus fees
The MERA Schoolhouse is located at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A, McDonald’s Corners

Funding support provided by the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario

Open Artists Studio
2025-11-24 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-01 10:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-08 10:00 - 14:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
MERA members are welcome to come to the MERA schoolhouse on Mondays for the Open Artists Studio. Bring your own work, and enjoy the light and the warmth during the fall, winter and spring seasons. The MERA room beside the kitchen can hold up to 7 people comfortably. We’ll begin with a drop in, so come for all or a part of the time slot.
Mondays, 10-2, excluding statutory holidays.
Starting Oct 20, 2025
contacts:
Sandy McNulty sandymcnulty8@gmail.com
Deb Shea debjshea@gmail.com

Closed for Cleaning
2025-11-25 05:00 - 07:00, 2025-12-02 05:00 - 07:00, 2025-12-09 05:00 - 07:00

Pottery Studio
2025-11-25 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-02 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-09 13:00 - 15:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meeting Space: Pottery Studio (basement)
Contact Person: Lyndal Neelin
We are a joyful group of potters who share space, tools and experience in the basement of the MERA schoolhouse. We are organized as a co-operative, sharing responsibility for making our studio a fun, open, supportive and safe place to enjoy creating works in clay both on and away from the wheel.
Each studio member is encouraged to participate in both individual and collective projects, to contribute to studio maintenance tasks, and to teach and learn from the other potters. MERA potters also organize learning and teaching opportunities in the form of in-house workshops and sessions led by professional potters and contribute to the Annual MERA Christmas Fair.

Pottery Studio
2025-11-26 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-03 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-10 13:00 - 15:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Meetings Space: Pottery Studio (basement)
Contact Person: Heather Vriends

MERA's Needle Pushers
2025-11-26 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-03 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-10 13:00 - 16:00
Meeting Space: MERA Room
Contact Person: Bonnie McQuatt
We welcome anyone who might have new techniques or designs to share or perhaps just has a desire to try something new.
Most of the fun of quilting is being with the people we quilt with. Newcomers learn by doing. If you would like to try quilting with us we will share our supplies with you until you figure out if quilting is your thing or not. The requirements for quilting are minimal. Those who have a portable sewing machine, rotary cutter and mat will bring that equipment when we are starting a quilt and we work together cutting out the pattern and assembling the quilt. Once the hand quilting begins each person needs their own thimble, scissors and quilting needles.

Heritage Weavers
2025-11-27 09:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-04 09:00 - 14:00, 2025-12-11 09:00 - 14:00
Meeting Place: Dean Hall
Contact Person: Lise Loader
This collective has expanded significantly from a core group over the last few years.
The weavers gather to plan and work on projects and are available to share ideas, advice and enthusiasm with each other and newer weavers. It’s an apprentice-like learn-as-you-go environment suited to those who have taken an introduction to weaving weekend workshop at a guild.
We have 7 looms of various sizes and styles at MERA. Some of these looms are set up with extra-long warps which become cooperative projects that various members work on when they can.
As with all groups at the Schoolhouse, you must have a MERA membership to become a regular member of the MERA Heritage Weavers.

Art Circle
2025-11-28 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-05 10:00 - 12:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Join us and learn from and be inspired by what others in the group are working on. There is plenty of time to work on your own piece and also trade ideas and techniques with others in a casual way.

Recorder Consort
2025-11-28 13:00 - 14:15, 2025-12-05 13:00 - 14:15 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
The MERA Recorder Consort is an ongoing, flexible group of players. We meet regularly, playing intermediate level music in 2-5 parts, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. We play for our own enjoyment, and we sometimes play for a MERA event such as the Wassail.
If you already read music and play the recorder, we would love you to join this group of enthusiastic amateur players, with teacher Helen Mogford providing guidance and music. We have a 75 minute class most Fridays.

Stained Glass
2025-11-28 18:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-05 18:00 - 21:00 | MERA Schoolhouse, McDonald’s Corners
Come and join us. All that you require is an interest in being creative and a MERA membership. We have materials to get you started. We learn and hone our craft together.
Be prepared to learn from and be inspired by what others in the group are working on. There is plenty of time to work on your own piece and also trade ideas and techniques with others in a casual way.
This is a new program so we are excited to see how it develops!

Board Meeting
2025-12-02 18:00 - 20:00

Saturday Cafe
2025-12-06 10:00 - 14:00
Come in from the cold and enjoy a warm Saturday at MERA
Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate and fun conversations (free)
Homemade soup
Baked goods
Donations and volunteers are more than welcome!
Art Show in Dean Hall by the MERA Art Circle
Let you kids create at the Children’s Art Table!
