This Saturday, Tweedsmuir Presbyterian Church in Orangeville will offer a rare opportunity to hear internationally acclaimed Canadian author Alistair MacLeod.

An Order of Canada recipient, Alistair was made illustrious by the success of his novel No Great Mischief. On this evening, he will read his famous Christmas story "To Everything there is a Season" which is set in Cape Breton. Sharing the evening with him is his son, Kenneth, on fiddle.

Alistair will be also joined by Sandy MacIntyre, master fiddler, and his band, including Caledon East's Jeffery Gosse.

Jeffery, Sandy's protégé, started playing with Sandy when he was six years old. What an evening this will be, an evening of family playing, singing and dancing together, for Sandy and Alistair went to high school together (probably more years ago than they would be willing to admit).

Also on hand will be Chandra Gibson Leahy and her young student dancers. Chandra is Orangeville's National step dancing champion, and, as her name implies, is married to Frank Leahy. Chandra's family is cousins to the MacInyres.

It is a family do, brought to fruition by landscape artist extraordinaire, David Warburton, who has funded the event. As well, 24 local businesses and residents have contributed to the success of the fundraiser.

The event will raise scholarships for promising young fiddlers and dancers in the broader Dufferin area to attend advance workshops at local music and step dance schools and camps. At least one deserving student will be sent to the internationally acclaimed Gaelic College of Celtic arts in St. Anne's, Cape Breton for an intense week of instruction this summer.

There will be a Cape Breton style tea (meaning lots of goodies), silent auction, and a terrific party-a ceilidh, as they say, with entertainment as long as your arm.

Tickets are $25, available at BookLore, Acoustic Traditions, Broadway Music and Chandra's School of Dance.