There was a lot to see, hear and savor at the second annual JarvisFest over the weekend.
The festival, which is in its second year, featured a midway for children, live entertainment, a beer tent, barbecued ribs and other tasty treats for visitors to enjoy.
“We try to have something for everyone,” said Richard Moorse, a Jarvis resident who, along with his wife Marianne pitched the idea of a festival to local organizations following the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ve got a car show, a ball tournament, we’ve got face painting and a Princess show for the kids and the live entertainment is provided by bands that are local.
“What makes this really special for me is the level of involvement we have from the community.”
The Jarvis Lions Club looked after the beer tent; the Townsend Lions Club handled the car show and the Fisherville Lions Club took care of the Sunday morning breakfast. The Knights of Columbus sold corn and the Masons ran a CHIP – a child identification program.
“We decided right from the start that if we were going to do something, let’s make sure the community is involved,” Moorse said. “We also have a lot of food trucks as well as the ribbers.”
Other features of the festival included a magic show by Lucas Wilson of Port Dover, a miniature horse show and a disc golf tournament.
Moorse said the festival attracted a big crowd on Friday night when the fireworks display was held and there was a smaller crowd on Saturday. The Friday night crowd was younger while the Saturday night crowd was more middle-aged, Moorse said.
The parade was held Saturday morning.
“It wasn’t a big parade but it’s a start, something we can build on,” Moorse said.
The Moorses pitched the idea of a festival after visiting a rib festival in Saskatoon a couple of years ago.
Moorse said Jarvis used to have CornFest but that died several years ago, so there was an opportunity to create something new.
“I couldn’t tell you how many people we’ve had over the weekend but I think the crowds have been pretty good,” Moorse said. “People seem to be enjoying themselves so that’s nice to see.”
twitter.com/EXPVBall
