The ATCO Street Party saw all kinds of performers take to the streets, Jan. 30, but one performer stood out above the rest.
He may have been less daring than the fire throwers, less rotund than the mascots and less noisy than the musicians, but he had pizazz all the same.
On the day of the street party, seven-year-old Calder Kreizenbeck decided he wanted to be a mime. So, he spent an hour on YouTube researching how to remain silent while telling a story with only his body.
Then, when the time came to perform, he smeared white makeup over his face, pulled on a pair of white gloves and a black top hat and hit Patricia Street, giving two 20-minute performances that raked in a whopping $90.
After counting his loot at home, he decided he would keep half and donate the other half to charity: $25 to the Make a Wish Foundation and $20 to the Hinton SPCA.
Following the performance, Calder's mom, Meghan Gifford joked, “You could interview him, but he is a mime. He doesn't say much.”
Joining Calder on Patricia Street Saturday night were swarms of visitors and locals alike, all there to take in the excitement of the annual event.
To keep those folks entertained, there was live music, a rail jam, a learn to ski workshop, an ice bar and street performers, including Jasper’s very own Shawna Woelke, who pulled off her best moves with a flaming hula hoop.
And, of course, what's a street party without food?
There was all kinds of delicious treats, from beavertails made by the Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society to maple syrup on a stick offered by l’Association Canadienne Francophone de l’Alberta (ACFA).
And after everyone was hopped up on sugary treats, the evening wrapped up with a spectacular fireworks display at Centennial Park.
Nicole Veerman
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