Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
CAMPBELL’S BAY
Aug. 25-27, 2017
A weekend-long festival took over the Campbell’s Bay riverfront, attracting a huge crowd for a mix of racing, baseball, live music and tons more.
Centred around the three-pitch baseball tournament, the annual summer festival had one major goal for it’s fundraising this year – to bring a splash pad for the kids to the town.
“We try to start our weekend in the black,” said Tim Ferrigan, the festival organizer. “I start from scratch, get some sponsors, organize the baseball registration.”
By starting out affordably, they can ensure that the most money possible will be raised for their development project. Last year the festival raised over $16,500. “We handed that money over to the municipality, and it all went to Mural Park,” said Ferrigan.
Mural Park, which just opened the Saturday morning of the festival, is a quiet spot along Front Street, featuring planter boxes, a fountain and a large mural depicting the origins of the town.
With one project down, it’s time for Campbell’s Bay to move onto their new focus. With the summer festival to help kick things off, the efforts are well underway. Especially when you consider that $900 alone was raised off of Cletus Ferrigan’s 50/50 draw.
Events kicked off Friday evening when the bar opened at five and the youth softball game started at six. From there, the weekend was a whirlwind between all the baseball games, horse and carriage rides, bingo, face painting, a clown, a junior firefighter’s challenge and even a soapbox derby.
The soapbox racing garnered a large crowd with kids eager to clip on their helmets and hit the track. Racing two at a time, the young ones hopped in and took to the incline, tasked with braking and steering. The young NASCAR drivers proved they could star in their own Fast and Furious movie, with only one crash causing some upset as the racers collided, hopped the track and got a bit shaken up by a tree.
New for this year was the inclusion of a ‘Bay-B Zone,’ designated for children two and under to have some fun. It was a late addition to the party, but also an age group that Tim had previously forgotten to address.
“We had a friend over with a young one, under two,” said Tim. “I said to my wife, we had nothing for them.”
Preparations for the weekend started after last year’s festival, but have been more extensive in the past six months.
“As a small town ball tournament, a lot goes into it,” said Tim.
Tim was very happy that more than 60 volunteers came out in support of the weekend, but he was just as appreciative of the community who came out, too
“We consider ourselves lucky to have the volunteers, but it still gives you nothing if the community isn’t out to support it,” said Tim. “If you came out to buy a burger, you’re as good as a volunteer.”
Though, Tim knew who the real volunteer of the year was this time around.
“The MVP of the weekend is the sunshine,” he laughed.