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“Other than the weather, Harvest Festival was great,” said David Lapier of the Williamsburg Community Association, the group that has organized the annual Williamsburg Harvest Festival for 22 years. 

The rainy day impacted only a few activities, such as the model plane exhibit and parade car show entries. 

It may have had an impact on crowds, but overall, Lapier says the event was great.

“The outhouse races were hugely successful,” said Lapier, who was a little surprised by their popularity.

Five teams entered raced in the inaugural event, but more importantly, a huge crowd of about 150 people came out to watch the race. 

“And, that was at 9 a.m.,” added Lapier.

“The success of those outhouse races is something we will definitely build on for next year,” he said, adding that they are likely to move them closer to midday.

Friday night’s movie night, which included a wagon ride, was the best attended movie night ever and the contests were also hugely popular. 

“We had the most contest entries this year than we have had in years,” said Lapier.

The kid’s colouring contest was won by Trevor Backes, Lilly Lewis and Brianna O’Neil, with honourable mention to the youngest artist Averie Merkley (2).

The heaviest potatoes were submitted for judging by Leah Barkley (1st), Brianna O’Neil (2nd), Cameron Stewart (3rd); largest zucchini: Margaret Westervelt (1st), Gerrit Westervelt (2nd), Barry Casselman (3rd); tallest corn stalk: Brooke Waddell (1st), Dylan Waddell (2nd), Brenda Toonders (3rd); largest sunflower: Emma Hess (1st), John Bern (2nd), Barb Richmire (3rd); largest red maple leaf: Hailey Steward (1st), Louise Richmire (2nd), Mary Richmire (3rd); reddest maple leaf: Emma Pemberton (1st), Mackenzie Buter (2nd).

The best decorated porch honours went to Laurie Van Hoof and best decorated bench to April Richmire.

The best decorated bicycle contest was dominated by the Steward family. Hailey Steward won, with Abby Steward placing second and Kurtis Steward winning third prize. 

Bonnie Haner, John and Cathy Young and Cathy O’Brien were trivia contest winners.

The harvest poster contest winners included; in the youngest category – Abby Steward (1st), Louise Richmire Kylie Schell and Jenna Richmire; in the middle category – Hailey Steward (1st), Kloe Lewis, Kyra Lewis, Hillary Van Moorsel and Mary Richmire and in the top age group – Brianna O’Neil (1st), MacKenna Kyle, Martina Lewis, Zoey Van Hoof and Mary Richmire.

Parade winners in various categories included Sarabeau Stables, Lyle Van Allen, Sandy Marcellus, Brianna O’Neil, Williamsburg B.P.S.C., David Wells, and Terry/Francis Henderson.

The prize for best decorated outhouse was shared by Go-Team and Green Apple Quick Steppers.

[…]

There was some nervous peeking through the curtains, and some very excited whispers backstage. Occasionally teacher Kate Veinotte’s calm voice could be heard quieting  pre-show jitters.

 However, when they finally stepped on to the Playhouse stage Friday, July 20, the 27 children who took part in the 2012 Junior Drama School class at Upper Canada Playhouse behaved like seasoned troupers. They put on a great show. 

“Welcome to the first ever Upper Canada Playhouse Olympics,” said senior students Conor Veinotte and Grant Wells, who assisted with the junior school last week. The two narrators introduced the participating nations, cheered on the determined competitors and (tongue in cheek) praised the sponsors of the wonderful UCPO.

“We have had a very busy week,” teacher Kate Veinotte told the large crowd of parents, grandparents and friends who came out to see the culminating performance of the drama school.

“This was an incredibly creative group we had this year. We decided that the Olympic Games were going to be the theme of this year’s school, and we brainstormed a lot of ideas for the play. I asked the kids, if you could come up with Olympic events of your own, what would you put in the games? What you are seeing is their ideas, complete with commercials.”

Of course, every Olympics must begin with the parade of nations. And if the nations at the UCPO were a little unexpected, well, that was just part of the fun.

The nation of New Yolk solemnly promised to “scramble” its opponents. Spudland swore its team would “mash these guys.” Limbotania defiantly vowed their athletes would “go low” while Seekey Land expected to be the craftiest contenders for the hide and seek competition. And Alphadopia made it clear that its team members were utterly confident of capturing s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g bee gold.

The Games were naturally thrilling, with loud cheers from the audience.

When they won the egg-and-spoon race, New Yolk stood for their anthem The Chicken Dance. Spudland won the potato sack race and proudly sang their anthem “One potato, two potato, three potato…”

After their sweeping victory in  the limbo, Limbotania’s anthem, The Limbo Rock, had everyone toe tapping while Seekey Land’s dynamic gold in Hide and Seek led to a proud chorus of “Where is Thumpkin?”

As for Alphadopia’s taking of the laurels in the spelling bee, well, the whole audience could join in their national anthem “A B C D E F G, H I…”

Everyone knows how important commercial spots at the Olympics are to advertisers, so it was no surprise to see these young actors present some priceless ads.

Sweet Dreams Energy Drink guaranteed that athletes drinking it would get ahead. Cloud Shoes promised to be both “heaven on your feet” and “good for your soles.” The bilingual ad for Mattress Mart Shoe Depot claimed shoes so comfortable “they’re like mattresses for your feet.” And Zipster Drink declared its enormous benefits to athletes and “only $2.99!”

The show ended with the five teams, in the spirit of true sportsmanship and global friendship, passing around the  coloured hoops and creating on stage the proud symbols of the modern Olympics.

Jackie McCormick, stage manager at Upper Canada Playhouse, worked with the class, teaching how props are made, and ran the lights for the show. Rosemary Laurin came to help  for the week, and arrived with treats for the young actors at the end of the play. 

Artistic director Donnie Bowes made sure that everyone went home with a certificate of accomplishment, telling the children they had created a “wonderful, wonderful show.”

“The kids had so much fun,” Kate Veinotte said. “They came up with everything, the sports, the ads, the countries and the anthems. They were incredibly hard-working and very creative. I found myself wishing there really was a Kids Olympics.”

[…]

  Marilyn (nee Meikle) Hunt says she is excited to see the result of the restoration project for the John H. Meikle Memorial Gate at Mount Pleasant Cemetery on Lakeshore Drive west of Morrisburg. Last […]