We now have 34 individual sponsors on board. And we are thrilled to announce a special sponsorship of the 2012 Juried Prize of $3,000 by Leon’s Furniture of Orillia.

Bidding is active now — contact Leslie at leslie@orilliastreetsalive.ca.

Laura Parna’s sailboat is called Come Sail with Us. People can pop their heads into the cut-outs and become part of her beautiful design. She has pasted in two photographs of children’s faces to show where the cut-outs will be.

This design has been reserved as the Citizens of Orillia’s sailboat to provide everyone the means to become a sponsor, no matter what their budget — smaller, individual donations from many Orillians will add up. Donation boxes are ready at downtown locations Apple Annie’s cafe, Ecocentric, and Jack and Maddy. Please help support Sixty Sails. Together we can make a big splash on the streets of Orillia!

We are helping Mariposa Folk Festival promote a raffle for the autographed Larrivee guitars that were signed by every performer at the 2010 festival. Proceeds will go to MFF. Please buy a ticket and pass on the word.

Click here to see the poster. It is a large download file, so be patient.

ONLY 8 HOURS LEFT to bid on a piece of folk music history! Larrivee beauty generously donated by Jean Larrivee Guitars and signed by performers at the 50th Mariposa Folk Festival. Proceeds support Streets Alive! and Mariposa Folk Festival. http://tinyurl.com/34kx8hv

The second of four Larrivee guitars signed by all performers at the 50th Anniversary Mariposa Folk Festival is now up for auction until December 12. Don’t delay! This is the last chance to bid on one of signed guitars available via Ebay.

The third and last guitar will be available by raffle and the winning draw made at the 2011 Mariposa Folk Festival.

The fourth joins the artifacts at Mariposa Folk Festival archives.

The Ebay auction of one of the signed Larrivee guitars started yesterday. Click here for a direct link.

The guitars feature signatures of all the 2010 Mariposa Folk Festival artists to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the festival. This is a joint venture between Streets Alive!, Larrivee Guitars and Mariposa Folk Festival.

Click here for the PDF version of the press release.

Larrivee guitars, signed by 2010 Mariposa Folk Festival performers, on Ebay from Nov. 15

Four beautiful guitars now embody a playable history of Canadian folk music, thanks to Larrivee Guitars, the Mariposa Folk Festival and Orillia’s Streets Alive! organization. Three of the acoustic ‘time machines’ will be offered to the public through auction and raffle, keeping folk music in the peoples’ hands. The fourth guitar will be included in the permanent collection of Mariposa Folk Foundation memorabilia at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collection at York University. The guitars were donated by Larrivee to help support Guitars on Parade, the 2010 Orillia Streets Alive! project.

Each guitar has been signed by all of the performers at the 50th Anniversary Mariposa Folk Festival in 2010. The autographs of Gordon Lightfoot, Sylvia Tyson, Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor, Murray McLauchlan, Ian Tyson, Mose Scarlett, the Whiteley Brothers and others are woven in with the signatures of those who founded the Mariposa Folk Festival. Cradled among these legends are the folk icons of tomorrow, such as David Francey, Suzie Vinnick, Matt Anderson, Deep Dark Woods, David Gunning, Lynn Miles, Ashley MacIsaac, Catherine MacLellan, Serena Rider, and Zeus. Each guitar is signed uniquely on the face, sides and back.

All four guitars, donated by the Jean Larrivee Guitar Company — whose modest beginnings in Toronto parallel that of Mariposa, Canada’s longest-running folk festival — have the beautifully engineered, carefully crafted qualities that make Larrivee such a trusted friend of performers on stage and in living rooms across the continent. Each guitar is a different model, with its own unique look and sound.

“These keepsakes are a wonderful way to play, remember and celebrate folk music. They are so richly Canadian — the guitars, the signatures and the festival,” said Tom Johnstone of the guitar project. “Buying a ticket or placing a bid for one of these guitars is another way to be part of this great folk story.”

Starting November 15, Ebay will be the spot for those interested in bidding on two of the guitars (models LV and L). The third guitar (model M) will be raffled, with the draw to be held on Saturday, July 9, at the 2011 Mariposa Folk Festival. All proceeds go to the Mariposa Folk Foundation and Streets Alive! organization.

Those interested in bidding on Ebay or buying a raffle ticket (for themselves or as a Christmas gift) can find more details on the Mariposa website.

What a great day! Wonderful artists on hand, dedicated volunteers making it all happen, appreciative onlookers showing their support — over 1,000 people voted for their favourite 5 guitars, and those artists each claimed their $500 prize.

The People’s Choice artists are Brenda Black, Steph Dunn, Laura Parna, Ron Schell, Todd Sullivan. Their guitars are pictured below, in alphabetical order by artist.

Thanks, Orillia, for making this a stand-out outdoor-art event!

• The Streets Alive Committee