Hinton will celebrate its arts community next week with a “classy Mardi Gras” themed gala.

“We add the classy because we don’t want anybody out to collect beads for inappropriate behaviour,” joked Christina Oliver, executive director of the Creative Campus.

This will be the fifth year that Hinton has held its Arts on Fire gala, organized by the office of the mayor and the Creative Campus, to recognize members of the community who have gone above and beyond to promote the arts.

“It’s very important that we recognize our artists,” said Oliver. “Life would be pretty dull if we all just went to work and never played, never had our visual palates stimulated or our ears.”

At the event, eight awards will be given out, including one for lifetime achievement to Deborah Bird for her dedication to the performing arts in Hinton.

Oliver said the other award recipients, who will be recognized as emerging artists, cultural patrons or cultural pillars, won’t be named until the event.

Nominees for emerging artists are Ty Lehne and Maddie Jones. While Layne Seabrook and Dianne Shone were nominated as cultural patrons.

Within the cultural pillar category, there are three sub-categories: performing arts, visual arts, literary arts and cultural heritage.

Nominated for performing arts are Deborah Bird and Joan and Bob Udell; for visual arts is Sue Darkes; for literary arts is Amber Hayward; and finally for cultural heritage is Lorraine Johnson-MacKay.

The nominees were named by members of the community.

“It was very nice to see people recognizing their fellow community members for the art that they do or the time that they dedicate to their art, or how involved they are in the arts community,” Oliver said.

Arts on Fire is an after-dinner event with entertainment from local young and adult performers, in addition to a headliner.

Performers from Hinton include Break a Leg Theatre, Erika Croken, the Blue Diamond Quintet, the Vesna Dancers and Fried Piper and Big Fish.

The headliner is Cabana Bird, a band from Edmonton with a Hinton connection: Mary-Lee Bird, Deborah Bird’s daughter.

The six-piece band plays a fusion of folk, ska and gypsy jazz.

Oliver said she thinks their sound will fit the Mardi Gras theme perfectly.

Along with the entertainment, the Feb. 18 event at the Hinton Centre, will have appetizers and wine and beer tasting.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call Creative Campus at 780-865-2200.