On the coast of Nova Scotia, wind chimes made of wood or metal are celebrated
Wind chimes made of wood or metal spin wildly in the Atlantic wind. Ever heard of "Whirligigs"? No? We didn't have that until we were on our journey along the Lighthouse Trail on the coast of Nova Scotia suddenly discovered on roadside signs. They announced the "Whirligig Festival" in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. This made us curious, and since Shelburne was on our itinerary anyway, we decided to investigate it. It turned out to be wind chimes that can be found on almost every garden and veranda on the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Route.
Wind chimes on the coast of Nova Scotia
Everywhere in the New Scottish front gardens it swirls, twists and turns. Maya the bee beats wildly with her wooden wings in the Atlantic wind. There sailing ships pick up speed when the storm catches on their carved canvases. And elsewhere, a canoeist paddles through the air full of energy in his green-painted canoe, as if his life depended on it.
The next Whirligig Festival: September 16 & 17, 2023

And actually it makes sense. Because on the coast of Nova Scotia there is almost always a stiff breeze that can increase to a storm. There are flower arrangements in the gardens of the residential areas in the villages through which we drive on our journey along the Lighthouse Route. But it is usually located in a sheltered location close to the house. The robust wind chimes, on the other hand, need the wind. You place them everywhere. At the entrance, on the terrace railing, in the middle of the neatly mowed meadow or even on the roof of the house. There the wind chime turns constantly to the rhythm of the storm.
A guest at the "Whirligig and Weatherwane Festival" in Shelburne, Nova Scotia

There are no limits to the inventiveness of the creators of these wind chimes. As we stroll past the exhibits at the annual "Whirligig and Weatherwane Festival in Shelburne" we find the most imaginative motifs. We can't get enough of the colorful and lively wind chimes, which are lovingly handcrafted by hobby carvers. It's not just us. At our lunch at the nearby Sea Dog Saloon on the shore in Shelburne, the landlord proudly tells us that he has just purchased two of these masterpieces. "You just have to have it. They are so beautiful, ”he says with a beaming face. This is also confirmed by the faces of the festival visitors, who inspect the exhibits with a connoisseur's eye, which revolve around the village green of Shelburne.
It's all about beauty with wind chimes made of wood or metal
The Whirligig and Weatherwane Festival is all about beauty. Therefore, every visitor receives a slip of paper on which he awards his favorite among the wind chimes on display. The winner will be announced at the end of the festival. We were happy to have followed the signs that made us curious. So we spent an eventful day with the people from the Shelburne area.
You'll find great photos of the coast of Nova Scotia in this blog post about one Nova Scotia Road Trip by Anita Brechmühl from Travelita.
Buy wind chimes online
If you now feel like setting up such wind chimes in your own garden, you will find a selection here to order online:
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Do you already know:
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- The Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia
- Tradition in the Erzherzog Johann Hotel in Bad Aussee
- Pacific Rim Tofino Whale Festival on Vancouver Island
- Helsinki 5 Star Hotels for your city trip
Source: On-site research supported by Tourism Nova Scotia
Text: © Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
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