Jennifer Black, curator of the Glengarry Pioneer Museum, called it over a month ago at a meeting of the Harvest Fall Festival planning committee. She predicted a turnout of 400, and she was bang on. In fact, if you throw in slippage at the gates from missed clicks of the clickers, plus all the volunteers and exhibitors, I’d guess last Sunday’s crowd numbered closer to 500. And from what I could see, they all were having a great time. It had that quaint, unhurried feel of when the Fall Festival began twenty-one years ago. There was enough time, and space, to catch up with friends and neighbours.
It was almost as if Covid had forced FallFest to go back to its roots. Recreations of pioneer life skills like spinning, butter churning, blacksmithing, trapping and ice cream making; exhibits and demonstrations of vintage agricultural technology and practices; the perennially-popular Harvest Sale; even the return of our old friend Lynn Mcnab, leatherworker extraordinaire.
The only disappointment was the almost complete lack of music. For some reason, the promise of pop-up buskers never materialized, and they were missed. Luckily, Steve “Spider” Merritt, one of the original ‘from-away’ Dunveganites, answered the call around two o’clock. After bicycling all the way from home with a 100-year-old banjo on his back, he and Clay McWhirter entertained festivalgoers with an impromptu jam.
Event co-chairs Lindsay Howes and Clay McWhirter along with what they call their “Dream Team” (Alyson Graham, Barbara Newman, Margaret MacMillan, Ernie MacMillan, Lyle Howes, Christina Quesnel, Sandra MacPherson and Jack Fraser), and the many other volunteers who made the day a success, deserve a huge round of applause.
Plop… we had a winner!
I’m biased, but I thought the highlight of Dunvegan’s fall festival was an event that just made its debut this year: the “Cow Pie 50/50 PLUS” raffle. Terry tells me that, as she wandered the grounds after selling the last raffle ticket about 1:30 pm, she overheard many people talking about the upcoming action down at the Cow Pie Corral.
Thirty minutes later, Laurie Bartlett, daughter of Bernie St. Denis from the 6th of Kenyon, led “Jabrea”, a purebred Holstein cow, into the paddock containing a total of 225 two-foot numbered squares arranged in a 30’ x 30’ grid. There, without a moment’s hesitation, the cow began chowing down on the painted grass. That’s despite having snacked on some fine looking hay while waiting in the wings for show time. I was worried the crowd of spectators gathered around the steel enclosure might spook the cow. But I shouldn’t have. She seemed to enjoy the adulation as she circled the grid in a clock-wise direction. (I wonder if she would go counter-clockwise if the raffle were to be held in the southern hemisphere.)
It’s a law of nature: what goes in… must come out. So, after twelve minutes or so, the waiting came to an end with the sound of a great big plop. It was a textbook deposit, landing right in the centre of square #47. Fittingly, the holder of ticket #47, Elodie Leduc, had purchased it from the St. Isidore branch of Caisse Desjardins… the local caisse populaire that sponsored this year’s FallFest. While the museum is still tallying up in-person and on-line ticket sales, it looks like the grand prize in the 50/50 draw will be just over $1,000.
When the dust settled, an iMac computer and a random number generator app was used to draw the four numbers for the $75 “PLUS” prizes. The winners were: Ann Rudderham of Alexandria (ticket #19); Therese VanOverbeek of Cornwall (ticket #99); Sheila Joly who purchased online (ticket #186); and the Glengarry Highland Lodge (ticket #120). Incidentally, the Lodge purchased two whole booklets of raffle tickets and pledged to donate the 50/50 prize to the museum if they won. Mason Gord White from Dunvegan, when he learned that the Lodge had snagged one of the $75 prizes, told Jennifer they would like to donate it to the museum.
Given its ‘sold out’ premiere, I suspect the “Cow Pie 50/50 PLUS” raffle will return at next year’s fall festival. One suggestion I’ve heard is that two separate raffles be held, each with its own grand prize: the first at 11:00 am and the second at 2:00 pm. However, before we get carried away, the hard-working and generous volunteers who made this year’s raffle possible deserve our thanks (in order of appearance): Cole and Ben Williams, Lyle Howes, Jack Fraser, Jim Tilker, Michael Cowley-Owen, Bernie St. Denis, Laurie Bartlett and Bruce MacGillivray. And this doesn’t include the folks who sold — and purchased — tickets. Thank you!
Now that’s dedication
When the call went out for volunteers to work at Dunvegan Recreation food booth at last Sunday’s fall festival, Heather and Evan McIntosh were once again at the head of line. This generous, community-minded couple has been donating time to the DRA for as long as Terry and I have lived here, and no doubt before as well.
It wasn’t until after they both signed up for a shift slinging chilli at the fest that they learned their family had planned a surprise party for them last Sunday to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Some folks would have sent their regrets to the DRA; family comes first. Not Heather and Evan. They made a commitment and they honoured it. The party just had to wait. So if you were wondering why this lovely couple served you food at this year’s fall festival with a house full of family and friends at home, that’s why. Happy 50th anniversary, Heather and Evan. As always, you are an inspiration.
Well worth the effort
To comply with the new Covid-driven health regulations, the DRA had to make a number of changes to its usual fall festival menu and procedures. But they were up to the task and Sunday’s food service seemed to go without any hitches. “We want to thank everyone for their understanding, and for coming out to support us nonetheless,” DRA Catering Co-ordinator Kim Raymond told me. “Frankly, it was good to enjoy an outdoor celebration again and well worth the additional effort.”
Kim wanted to acknowledge the group’s great team of chilli makers: Lynn MacGillivray, Jennifer Black, Jim Mullin, Anne Bertrand, Ben Williams, Sean Burgess, Louise Quenneville, Mona Andre, Vivian Franklin and Laurie Maus. Kudos also go to the front line servers: Abby Leroux, Peyton Russett, Olivia Robinson, Heather and Evan McIntosh, Kim, Heather and Sarah Jane Raymond, Mike Hall, Mona Andre, Louise Quenneville, Vivian Franklin and Ben Williams. Special mention needs to go to “Ben, Aiden and their three sons also deserve special mention,” Kim told me, “for providing that extra bit of energy to get clean up done at the end of the day.”
Last Chance Dance?
I didn’t see it firsthand, but I’ve heard tell that notice of a Small Halls concert appeared briefly on the DRA bulletin board last week. It’s not there now though, no doubt because the latest Small Halls concert series has been cancelled. The most recent Public Health regulations have further reduced the capacity of indoor events to 30% of normal. At that level, Small Halls hasn’t a hope of making enough at the gate to cover costs.
At a recent DRA Executive Committee meeting, Vivian Franklin suggested holding a replacement concert featuring local talent. She even came up with a catchy name for the event: the Last Chance Dance. “Just in case there’s another lock down,” Vivian quipped when I bumped into at Sunday’s FallFest.
I’ve asked if there’s a projected date for the event, and if it will be a dance or a concert. I suspect that those who would come out for a concert, might not come out for a dance. But it all depends on which group they’re aiming for. When I know more, you’ll know more.
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