A niblet from Cornfest 2013

For the last two years, my family and I have eagerly anticipated the annual Athens' Cornfest. I have been lucky enough to call some of the organizers my friends and they do a good job about getting the word out regarding the excitement to come each year.

We made sure to arrive at this year's Cornfest in the morning so we could take in all the vendors, music and of course, the food. After parking, the first place we came across was a giant board game made out of chalk on the closed-off road. It was a snakes and ladders type game where you roll the dice and try to make it to the end. My oldest, wasted no time introducing herself to the volunteer and starting the game. At the end, she was surprised with a musical prize (parents rejoice!) and walked away all smiles. This was a promising start to Cornfest 2013.

Next, we stopped to watch a professional sidewalk chalk artist hard at work and attempted to make our own masterpiece. This gave Nick and I a chance to chat with and get to know some of the volunteers. The kind lady who was working this project was telling us about her grandchildren and how she enjoys spending time with them. It was nice to take a moment and connect with other local residents. One of the greatest parts about attending small-town fairs is the kindness that can be found.

We continued to walk down the main stretch, stopping to listen to Tom Wilson on the main stage, visiting with friends we saw along the way and eventually making our way to the bouncy castle. This is a must for every fair and is always a favourite with our children.Nick and my oldest waited in line, as Baby R and I met with some more residents and chatted away. I was happy to meet the owner of the Dragonfly Kitchen, a lady who provides an in-home cooking service for busy working families. I grabbed her pamphlet and we had a great chat. I hope to connect again with her soon and learn more about her services.

Before I knew it, the morning had passed and it was noon - we had plans to go watch and meet Senator Hugh Segal, who was participating in the cook-off. My wonderful friend and Cornfest organizer, Douglas Quantz had invited us to come by and meet the Senator. Doug was in excellent spirits and had everything running smoothly with his amazing Cornfest team. We were introduced to the Senator, who was very gracious and took the time to speak with Nick and answer all his questions about political life. It was a great meeting and we are looking forward to connecting again soon.

After all the excitement, we were very hungry. When in Athens, we have a favourite spot to eat - The Peacock! Nanny Franny never disappoints and she was outside selling raffle tickets for a charitable cause and other goodies. We hurried in for a delish lunch and as always, had a fabulous time. My love for The Peacock is no secret, but if you still haven't been- rush- go now!

As the day drew near to an end, the lovely Brea Lawrenson was taking the stage. I had never heard of Brea before the hype of Cornfest, but after hearing her cover Tom Cochrane and Miranda Lambert, I realized what an incredible talent this gal is. We stayed and listened to her set and as my daughter is a huge country music fan, we went up to the stage to meet Brea after. I was blown away by how down- to-earth and friendly she was. So much so that she let my daughter keep her guitar pick, which you can imagine, only sent her over the moon! She has now been using it non-stop on her play guitar at home and continues to talk about her favorite musician- Miss Brea Lawrenson - a true class act!

To the village of Athens, its' residents and and everyone who takes time to organize and volunteer in the annual Cornfest - THANK YOU. This is truly a great festival and we look forward to it for years to come.

The Tall Ships Festival didn't disappoint!

This year's Father's Day weekend in Brockville was one to remember!

We kicked it off by attending the much anticipated Tall Ships Festival. This was an incredable event and something none of us have ever experienced. The ships were immaculate, providing my father-in-law with some great shots (as photography is a favorite hobby of his), the crowds were large but filled with happy sightseers and the food  (oh, the food!) was delicious!

Nick and I had the opportunity to dine on the Tall Ship Sandy for the Saturday evening dinner and fireworks cruise. Everything from boarding to the weather was perfect. We met some great friends and neighbours on the ship, enjoyed the roast beef dinner with "to die for" dessert (hello cheesecake!) and ended the evening with a romantic fireworks display at the back of the ship.

As we sat there taking in the breathtaking colours of the fireworks, I realized just how lucky I am to live in this beautiful area. The view of our city from the water was like something out of a movie. The shore was filled with proud residents enjoying the festival, the water filled with local boats and the historic Tall Ships alike, and the overall atmosphere was that of joy and non-stop fun. What a perfect evening!

Sunday was a day of family and celebration! It was my grandmother's birthday, Father's Day and the local wine show all wrapped into one day (in no particular order of course - cheeky!)Nick made some wonderful giant gormet hamburgers, we had salads and homemade carrot cake, and that was just lunch! While some of the men raced off to make their tee-off time, us ladies decided to meet at the 1000 Islands Food and Wine Festival. We had to have a drink to honour the fathers' in our life afterall.

I was yet again, very pleased to see a good turnout at the wine and food festival. I met some great vendors and tried some fabulous Ontario wine. I am not much of a drinker but my mother, who is part-owner in a local wine import business (Amano Inc.) was on-hand to tell me all about what we were sampling, which made it delicious AND interesting.

The weekend flew by way too fast, as there was just so much to do and the city was buzzing. Make sure you check out http://www.brockvilletourism.com for next years' dates and some other wonderful festivals happening throughout the remainder of the summer. Brockville and the 1000 Islands always has something for everyone!

Athens' Cornfest a huge hit!

With summer soon coming to an end,  attending The Athens' Cornfest was a great way to celebrate and welcome the approaching autumn. A parade, a steam engine to cook the corn and a ton of local vendors, it was the perfect Saturday morning. Don't worry though, we aren't ready to put away our flip flops just yet!

My three year old was up at 7:00 a.m. and had already picked out her best "Cornfest"outfit. I am not sure she understood where we were going, but she sure was excited! Explaining there would be a lot of outdoor fun, we compromised on a pink ensemble, stowing the tutu for a later date. Once we woke daddy and all got ready, it was off to catch the parade.

Admittedly, it's been awhile since I have been to Athens. Although not far, there is usually not a reason for me to visit this town. Upon arrival, I quickly realized this was a place I'd have to come back to more often. The town has a charm about it, with beautiful hanging baskets lining the thoroughfare and well-kept shops. We could not find a place to park on the main street, so we turned up a side street and thankfully found a spot. Once the strollers were loaded up, we were ready to have some fun!

The first place we stopped was the raffle table for the Elizabethtown-Kitley Firefighters. They had an adorable "firehouse" for kids as the prize. The guys were very friendly, agreeing to smile for my picture and talk to the kids. Who doesn't love a man in uniform? Next up we spotted the always popular "Bouncy Castle". Quickly, my daughter was in line to have her turn. We started to get hungry and headed towards the steam engine that was cooking the local corn. It was delicious, easily the best corn I have had all summer.

 

 

 

 

We continued on to the paintball gun shooting range, Little Ray's Reptiles, checked out the vendors and finally ended up at the pony rides. This was the creme de la creme for my girls. Even my 4 month old was wide-eyed upon seeing the petting zoo and her big sister atop a pony.Everywhere I looked, there were happy families. With our youngest, people stop all the time to adore her cooing and her smiles, today was no exception. There were so many adorable babies and smiles everywhere- we were in good company.

 

 

We left a few hours later, exhausted by all the fun and a bit surprised by what this festival had to offer. Who knew this small-town Cornfest could hold their own with the best of the bigger festivals? A huge congratulations to the Cornfest Chair, Hendrick Pape and his hard working team. Our family had a great day and we hope to attend for many years to come!