When I lived in Bruce County, I’d often come home on weekends when I wasn’t working. Soon after getting to the house and getting settled, I’d find that week’s edition of the Bradford Times and catch up on the latest happenings in the hometown.
About a decade or so ago, I remember opening the paper and an insert fell out; a trade magazine, similar to so many I had already worked on in my short career as a journalist. On the cover was a surly, smirking, middle-aged man dressed in the kind of off-brand costume guaranteed to frighten young children.
The gritty reboot of Gwilly that no one asked for (but everyone needed) was pointing at me: “I want YOU for Bradford.”
I don’t think I’ll see that version of Gwilly this weekend, but if I do, I want to buy him a 50 – he seems like the kind of guy who would drink 50 – and talk to him about our town and the festival we’ve been waiting for.
Carrot Fest is making its triumphant return this weekend, and I know I’m speaking for thousands in the area when I say I couldn’t be happier. There are likely more than a few homes in this town that have a “XX Days to Carrot Fest” countdown near their calendar.
But I’m also certain I’m not alone in saying I used to dread this weekend. It was lame. Boring. A traffic nightmare. What’s the big deal about carrots, anyway? Moreover, what’s the big deal about Bradford?
As Kelly Jones would say, you gotta go there to come back. You need to explore the world outside your fingertips to appreciate what’s been in front of you all along. As I experienced different locations, I came to realize how special this town I grew up in is.
And as I began my career, which included covering larger festivals in smaller towns, I came to realize that Carrot Fest is more than just an excuse for you and your friends to drink probably just as much as you normally would on an August Saturday night, but on a picnic table in the centre of town.
Carrot Fest– or any town festival for that matter – is a celebration of community. Certainly, the town’s agricultural heritage is represented this weekend, but it’s only a part of the whole that makes up Bradford West Gwillimbury. The people – us – are the biggest part. And after two silent years, there’s something so comforting in the dull roar of a crowd talking to each other about how beautiful an artisan’s crafts are, or how good the free baked goods from Sweet B’s taste, or just how they’ve been holding up since the last time they were able to meet up in the middle of the street on a summer’s day.
Of course, it would be nice if we could also enjoy a few cocktails and tacos later in the evening, complete with live music, but the outdoor tunes need to be turned off by 11 p.m., as local councillors recently shot down a request from La Mexicanada to keep their patio party going into the wee hours. I would have thought giving a pass to a local bar after everything restaurants went through during COVID would have been a no-brainer, but maybe that’s why I’m on this side of the council table.
It's a nice coincidence that Carrot Fest begins Aug. 19. That’s the same day that nominations close for our upcoming municipal election, taking place in October. I’m certain during the main event on Saturday, we’ll see plenty of candidates wearing buttons, shaking hands and giving away pamphlets (kissing babies, in the post-COVID world, is a touch passé).
The election in October is as important as any in recent memory. From the future reconstruction of Holland Street – which will change the complexion of Carrot Fest and our entire downtown over the next decade – to the redevelopment of the old arena and the surrounding lands, there is a lot of our money on the table and we need to make sure we have the right people making the decisions on how exactly to spend it.
When you’re approached by a candidate on the street this weekend, it’s important to listen to them as they tell you why they want to serve this community and what they can do to make it as vibrant and strong as it can be.
But their promises are only relevant if they represent our concerns and needs. More important than listening to them is making sure they’re listening to you.
