Sir John A.to Visit Frontenac Heritage Festival

Jeff Green | Feb 11, 2015

The Frontenac Heritage Festival this year kicks off on Friday evening, February 13 in Sharbot Lake at a new location, the cafetorium at Granite Ridge Education Centre. Not only will the Town Crier be on hand, Sir John A. Macdonald will be there as well, in addition to dignitaries from the First Nations and other communities. The ceremonies will get underway at 6:30. Before that, both the Sharbot Lake Country Inn and the Sharbot Lake Legion are putting on dinners, starting at 5:30.

The annual Heritage Festival Variety Show follows at 7:30, featuring music, dance, comedy and more with host Rob Moore.

Saturday will be a big day in the Arden area.

At the community centre, the Kennebec Trappers will be on hand, and the popular fur trader re-enactors, Mike Procter, Bob Miller and their sidekick Ray Fletcher will be cooking, throwing axes, demonstrating tools and making Crow's feet.

Rob Deruchie will be showing Wolf Creek Carvings, and the Arden Potters will be holding an empty bowls event in the all. Buy a bowl of soup or chili and keep the bowl, with all proceeds to the food bank.

There will also be games for the kids put on by the firefighters. Just north of Arden at the Henderson Road boat launch, the Kennebec Lake Association is presenting their 4th annual winter fun day; featuring skating, hockey, ring toss games, food and more. In the evening a fish derby and dance is slated for the Arden Legion (Branch 334)

Sharbot Lake will also have a full set of events on Saturday, including the popular Snow Drags at the beach. This event attracts hundreds of snowmobile enthusiasts from near and far.

For those who prefer the great indoors, the Artisan/Crafters Show & Sale runs from 10-4, with lunch available from Johnston Lake Organic's. The Craft show runs on Sunday from 12-4 as well.

The CF Railway Society is opening the Caboose at the Railway Park on Elizabeth Street for visitors, and over on the Fall River Road, Peter Bell is opening up the log home that he brought over several years ago from Brooke Valley and restored and furnished with authentic period antiques. Weather permitting, there will be a horse drawn wagon available at the junction of Fall River Road and the Trans-Canada Trail to bring people to the property.

In Tichborne, a broomball tournament, hosted by the Granite Ridge grade 8 graduating class, will take place at the rink.

On Saturday Night, the Sharbot Lake Country Inn is hosting a Valentine's Dinner and the Sharbot Lake Legion is hosting a dance.

Sunday is Polar Plunge Day at the Sharbot Lake Marina, starting at 11 am, where dozens of colorfully costumed Polar Plungers will descend into the icy waters of Sharbot Lake - and come out just as quickly!

This will be followed by snow shoeing on Fall River Road.

Finally, the Heritage Festival walk/run starts at 1 pm on Family Day Monday.