CabooseFest draws a crowd to Railway Heritage Park in Sharbot Lake

Craig Bakay | Jul 04, 2018

“We thought we’d try to get some people who’ve never been here before down to the Caboose,” said CabooseFest organizer and Central Frontenac Railway Historical Society Board Chair Derek Redmond said.

And that they did, signing up more than a dozen new members and spreading the word.

“We thought we’d have a little music and while people are here, they can check out the caboose (as well as the new display on the former station),” he said. “It’s been steady through the day and we may have raised a little money for new signage.”

The new station display features artifacts from the original station including the wood stove and a sign that languished in the Township Office before finding its new home.

But one of the more striking features is the window painting by Donna Larocque.

“Donna painted in the windows and we built the shed around them,” Redmond said.

Redmond said they plan to have and annual event but “next year may be something different.”

The day came about through a grant from Blue Skies in the Community and the CFRHS “divvied up the rest,” said Gary Giller, who arranged for the music.

Giller said the main issue they had to contend with was lack of power at the site, so generators were brought in.

“I had no trouble getting musicians,” he said. “Everybody I phoned said they’d be happy to be here,” he said.

The show began with The Boxcar Boys (Giller, Jim MacPherson, Dave Limber and Shawn McCullough filling in for Dennis Larocque who had to pull out at the last minute), followed by chanteuse Kora Kamps, fiddle phenom Jessica Weddon with McCullough finishing things up as headliner.

The First Spike author Steve Manders was there with his K & P Railway display and the Sharbot Lake Lions Club held a barbecue with proceeds going to the Food Bank.

The Caboose is open Saturdays from 11 a..m. to 3 p.m. in July and August.