By Darren Lum
Published Oct. 19 2019
This year’s Fall Festival at Abbey Gardens scheduled for Saturday Oct. 19 has added an extra day with a fundraising dinner and concert called the Fall Festival Finale.
It features Canadian folk music singer-songwriter Ian Tamblyn who will perform starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 20 at Abbey North. A dinner will follow his performance. Tamblyn is a folk music legend with a career spanning close to five decades. He has released 44 albums.
Abbey Gardens operations director Heather Reid credited Janis Parker of Parker Pad and Printing with sponsoring the fundraiser event which meant Tamblyn could perform.
There is a suggested donation of $50 per person. RSVP to heather@abbeygardens.ca.
For seven years the Fall Festival has highlighted the autumn season. Held from 12 to 4 p.m. the event will include outdoor games children’s story walk access to the sunflower maze live entertainment and fun photo opportunities pony and wagon rides and pumpkin painting.
There will also be local food offered by vendors who are a part of the farmers’ market and lunches at the Food Hub including wood-fired pizza at the Haliburton Highlands Brewing location. Admission is $5 per person and $15 per family which is up to the discretion of event goers. Admission helps cover expenses.
This event is great for the area as it is held during the Highlands’ shoulder season.
“We have debated many times about when to do the Fall Festival. We have decided to do it after Thanksgiving as a bit of a season extender not just for us but also for the farmers’ markets” said Reid. “It gives them one more week to reach out to their customers and it also I think is a time when local entrepreneurs and families are a little less busy so that’s another reason why we push it past that milestone that’s Thanksgiving.”
The public is encouraged to help with the event.
“Volunteers support the festival just by helping in all different areas on the property whether it be at the entrance or parking” she said.
Reid invites anyone interested in volunteering for the event to contact her. Email her at heather@abbeygardens.ca.
For more information go to www.abbeygardens.ca.
