On June 1, the village of Cookstown hosts its annual Wing Ding – a village-wide yard sale that attracts thousands of bargain hunters and yard sale enthusiasts.
This year, the event has been expanded to the Cookstown Fair & Wing Ding, reflecting all the events planned for the Cookstown Fairgrounds, located beside the Cookstown library – including carnival games, free music and other entertainment, a beer tent, vendors’ market, and food trucks.
The annual event is organized by the Cookstown Chamber of Commerce, which also hosts a creative challenge, co-ordinated by local artist Christina Luck and members of the Around the Corners art group.
In the spirit of the Wing Ding village-wide yard sales, the challenges encourage the creative use of found or discarded materials and second-hand items, and in the past have included transforming chairs into flights of fancy, and decorating picture frames.
This year’s challenge is a nod to creativity, reusing materials, and waste reduction. It’s the Cookstown Take-Out Cup Challenge. The challenge: to transform a takeout coffee cup into a “mug with a message.”
“Draw, paint, embellish, bejewel, collage, sew or even knit a sweater for it,” said Luck. “Anything goes as long as it includes a message in text. Add your favourite quote, saying, joke, line from a song, or whatever is on your mind right now.”
The challenge is open to everyone – individuals, families, clubs, businesses. Entry forms can be found online at cookstown.ca.
The entry fee is $5. The deadline for entries is May 25 at the Chamber of Commerce office, 19 Queen St. in Cookstown. Cups will be on display at Wing Ding for judging, and visitors will be invited to vote for the People’s Choice winner.
Prizes will be awarded June 1 at 4 p.m.
Also included in this year's event are the Wing Ding Wham Bam! at the Cookstown Pub, with live music by Sean Bourke from 1-4 p.m. and Teenage Head at 6:30 p.m.
There will be a tea, lunch and strawberry shortcake at South Simcoe Theatre from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with strolling shortcake sellers around town.
As well, the 13th annual David Kent Bake Sale will be held at the Paul F. Kent Funeral Home, with proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society.