Plans coming together for White Pine Festival next month
Posted Jul 29, 2010 By Theresa Fritz
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Tweet ThisEMC Events - Arnprior will be front and centre next month as a first-time festival looks to put the community on the map.
Plans are well in hand for the inaugural 'White Pine Tree Festival' slated to take place Aug. 27, 28 and 29. Co-ordinators for the event are Art Smith and Mike Marcil, with the town's director of recreation services (Glenn Arthur) also lending a hand.
Organizers are still looking for street musicians, clowns, mascots, face painters, buskers and street dancers to take part in the festival. As well, volunteers are always welcome to add to the core group of 21 currently in place.
Smith is well known to local residents for his involvement with the Arnprior Lions Club and as the organizer of the club's successful car show. Marcil is the manager of the local Giant Tiger and supporter of many community ventures.
"It's a festival in the Town of Arnprior for the people of Arnprior," Smith told the EMC. "It's got something for the entire family."
Smith said he is not merely using the word 'community' when he says this will be a community event. The plan is to have events going on in every corner of the community - from the beach to the airport, the fairgrounds to Robert Simpson Park and downtown, local service clubs are involved in organizing and running events.
"A lot of the events are being put on by the service clubs, we (organizers) don't have to be directly involved in organization but we are overseeing everything," Smith noted.
Some of the events scheduled to take place include a ball tournament that will kick off the weekend of fun, glow ball golf tournament, fashion show, mechanical bull and shooting range, outdoor dance, car show in the park, music, beach volleyball, sidewalk sales, displays, line dancing, magic show, draws, pig roast, beer garden in the Giant Tiger parking lot and much, much more.
Smith noted two members of the RCMP musical ride would be on the downtown streets on Aug. 28 with their mounts. Activities Aug. 29 will be kicked off with a non-denominational church service in Robert Simpson Park, put on by the River of Life Christian Fellowship.
"We will running two shuttle buses to and from all locations," Smith said, adding that off duty OPP officers have been hired to provide security.
One shuttle bus will run from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and another will run from 9:30 a.m. to midnight to accommodate the Saturday night street dance featuring Carvalho.
"If the weather co-operates, I think it will be huge," Smith said of the festival, adding he believes it will be bigger than the former Salute to the Valley ever was. "We also have a Facebook site and we've been advertising on Valley Heritage Radio, myFM, Y101."
Smith said most of the events are free but some, like the dance, dinners and beer garden, do carry a small charge.
For a detailed list of events, visit the White Pine Festival website at www.arnpriorwhitepinefestival.ca
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