By Dan White – Special to the Sydenham Current
A funny thing happened on the way through the pumpkin patch!
As I noted in my previous column, my eldest son, his wife, and 8-month-old are home for a month from Germany. After a little family getaway with the nine immediate members of the family, my son and his family returned with us to The Burg. We had a lovely visit getting to know our grandson and sharing some quality time with his sleep-deprived parents. Most of our time together was simply quiet time at home and close by, but one adventure was planned.
Our friend Janet Barnes is a fabulous resource for many things; in this instance, it was finding a pumpkin patch to visit. She sent me several links of some great area outings where you can go to seek The Great Pumpkin. For younger readers (I like to pretend there are some younger readers that rush home every Wednesday to see what is in the local arts column!) if you don’t get the reference, look up the classic Charlie Brown movie.
After scanning several FB pages, some with great rides, experiences, and activities, we elected to stay close to home and very simple. The Cameron pumpkin patch on Centre Side Road was just the ticket.
We arrived at the patch to snap a few pics with baby and family at the roadside wagons laden with a wide variety, sizes, and shapes of pumpkins. Our daughter-in-law, Janna, being from Germany, is accustomed to much smaller coffees than we have access to and was amazed by the pumpkin selection. Her goal was a pic with an extra-large coffee and a huge pumpkin. After several pictures were snapped, we decided to venture into the actual field to get a baby pic in the actual patch.
As luck would have it, a tractor was in the field, and we had the pleasure of meeting David Cameron and his son Allan. They stopped their machine, and we had a wonderful visit which resulted in a few things: adorable pics of our grandson in the tractor with David, interesting conversation which led to the farmers talking about Pumpkinfest and that it was a fundraiser for the C-K Hospice. Before we heard many details about the event, I wondered aloud if they would like an Oktoberfest Quartet performing at their event. They were thrilled to accept our offer. All we had to do after that was check and make sure Dave and Gavin were in agreement. It didn’t take long for an enthusiastic YES from each of them.
So, the Gavin Warren Oktoberfest Quartet now has 21 performances this month. The four of us will volunteer our time and (mostly Gavin’s) talent for this event as we all believe in the beneficiary.
I spoke with Allen today to get more information. If you go…
Where: Cameron Farms, 25805 Centre Side Road, Dresden, ON, Canada, Ontario. From north of Baseline Rd., turn south at Tacq’s Garden Market near Tupperville and the field is about 2 km down the road.
This is a rain-or-shine event in the field, so do dress appropriately and pray for sunshine.
When: Sunday, October 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (The quartet will play from noon until 1 p.m.)
What: There will be 15 vendors with everything from candles and clothes to baked goods and bedding available to purchase. There will also be a BBQ, games for all ages, and of course, literally tons of pumpkins for sale.
Why: This event will raise funds to support the local hospice. There is a $5 per vehicle fee, all of which is donated to CK Hospice. Last year, 150 vehicles came through, and the Camerons contributed their own money to bring the amount to $2,000. Their goal is to match that this year, but wouldn’t it be awesome if they shattered the goal?
This is the sixth year for Pumpkinfest, and it has grown each year. The charities are ones that have significant meaning to the Cameron family and that have impacted friends and family.
We are very excited about this event, and if you go, pop by and say hello!
