It's Wick Gala Week but not as we know it
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Although Wick Gala Week will not go ahead again this year some online events are in the pipeline due to public demand.
Among the activities being planned are a virtual pet show, window displays, a red herring competition and a car treasure hunt. These events will not necessarily take place over the usual gala week which should have got underway on Saturday night with the opening procession.
Wick Gala Committee co-chairperson Anderina Cass said: "We have a couple of online things planned. We are trying to do something – we are planning a window display like we did last year just to brighten up the town a wee bit. It has been very difficult for everybody and we hope to give people something to do. We got a really good response last year when we did our window display – we thought if we could do the same again it would be good."
Explaining that this year's theme is Over the Rainbow, she said that anyone could take part, including local businesses. "We thought it might be quite an appropriate theme and the public are looking for something to do," continued Anderina. "With no gala last year, this year everything felt very flat. Different people approached us to see if we could do something, specially adults with kids stuck at home over the holidays."
The red herring competition will involve the participation of local shop owners who will place mysterious objects in their windows which look out of place for that particular business. This could be a pencil or light bulb in a flower shop or a tiny thimble in the paint shop giving children the chance to do some detective work.
Answer sheets, numbered from 1-20, will be posted online and each shop will put a picture of a red herring in the window along with a number. The entries can be made online or put in a box and the winner will be drawn from a hat.
The chairperson said: "We have done that in the past and the kids love it and the parents love it. The kids are asking to go out a walk and it might take two or three days to complete – I remember my daughter doing it."
Plans for a car treasure hunt are well underway with some of the committee members going out this weekend to see if they can follow the clues set up by a new puzzle contributor and provide feedback.
Details about all the planned events will be put on the Wick Gala Facebook page.
