Cold and windy weather didn’t put a freeze on the fun for those who attended the annual Blue Heron Street Festival on June 4.
Hundreds of people from Barrhead and surrounding communities made their way to Main Street for the festivities. Pony rides, a petting zoo, a firefighter’s competition for children, Dan the Balloon Man, stiltwalkers and paint ball were only a fraction of the activities and entertainment organized by the Street Festival committee.
Festival chair Maureen Teha said she is very satisfied with this year’s festival, and the turnout was “OK” considering the weather.
“This was the coldest day ever for the festival,” Teha said. “I really hope the merchants in town are happy with the results. There were plenty of people shopping, and the festival is all about getting families out and downtown shopping. I know the food vendors did well, and I hope everyone else did, too.”
A pancake breakfast kicked off the festivities. Hosted by Friend of Habitat for Humanity Edmonton, the event raised $750 for the local project, with about 200 plates sold, said Rita Lyster. Furthermore, the pie sale at Rita’s Apothecary raised $800 for Sparrow’s Hope, she said.
“We were prepared for 300 people for the breakfast, but I think the cold weather kept them away,” she said, and added there was good interest in the hand-washing demonstration at Rita’s Apothecary.
New to this year’s Blue Heron Street Festival was Dan the Balloon Man and the National Stiltwalkers of Canada. Dan Thiel blew, twisted and tied together hundreds of balloons to create a myriad of balloon animals, much to the enjoyment of the youngsters who formed a lineup that never quit. The stiltwalkers sported very colourful costumes and masks, and were a popular sight for festivalgoers.
“Dan the Balloon Man wrote us and thanked us, and he said he had a good time.” Teha said. “The stiltwalkers were just amazing. They did an excellent job. I found them very impressive; they had great costumes, and were very entertaining.”
The pie-eating contest hosted by Barrhead Bakery was another great event, she said. Barrhead Bakery owner Dennis Donkers handed out several gift certificates to those contestants who managed to eat a pie in the fastest time. The contest was open to adults and youth alike, and provided a lot of laughs as friends and family gathered to watch competitors practically inhale the pies.
The petting zoo and pony rides were well attended, Teha said, and those are attractions the committee will likely be bringing back next year.
Shelley Oswald was the lucky winner of grand prize draw of $1,200 in gift certificates for groceries at Freson Bros. IGA and the Co-op. Tara Tiggelaar was the winner of a $50 gift certificate from Barrhead Motor Sports.
Local merchants provided excellent support for the festival, Teha said, and said it was “the best we’ve had, and a big thank you to all merchants for such great support.”
Veronica Properzi won $170 in one of the 50/50 draws, and she was kind enough to donate $70 of her winnings back to the festival, which will help organize next year’s events, Teha added.
The Blue Heron Street Festival will hold its last meeting at end of month, Teha said, to discuss what went well and what could be improved upon for next year. The committee’s main concern every year is getting enough volunteers to help organize the event. It’s always an issue with any kind of fundraiser, Teha added, but the festival committee is comprise of “a very good group of volunteers who have been around for a few years, which makes it easier.”
The unknown factor the committee struggle with every year is money, she said. The committee never knows how much funds it has to book the entertainment; however, this year’s festival ended with a small surplus, which allows the organizing committee to plan for next year, Teha said.
