June 12, 2025 • Volume 39, No. 3
Next edition June 26
5369 Canotek Rd. 613-841-7867 • www.stitchco.ca
East end fun fairs signal unofficial kickoff to summer
Young Dante from Rockland gets some help from a volunteer fire fighter while visiting the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum on Fire Fighter Day last Saturday. FRED SHERWIN/PHOTO
By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star Orléans-area residents took advantage of the first decent weather in awhile last weekend by flocking to events across the east end. Residents in Blackburn Hamlet and Beacon Hill took advantage of the near-perfect weather to take in their communities’ respective fun fairs on Saturday and celebrate the first big event of the season. Visitors to the Blackburn Fun Fair started their day with a free pancake breakfast followed by the Fun Fair parade which started at École secondaire Louis-Riel and made its way down Bearbrook Road to the Fun Fair grounds next to the Blackburn Arena. As has become tradition, anyone can take part in the parade and, judging by the number of people who did, it appeared at least half of the community turned out. After the parade, the kids flocked to the
inflatable rides and the Fun Fair games outside the arena which included a ring toss, a duck pond and a toilet paper toss. Little Ray’s Reptiles was also a popular attraction, as was the Wreck Room where kids could put on safety goggles and destroy household items and an already demolished car using their choice of a sledge hammer or a baseball bat. Later in the day, everyone’s attention turned to the main stage where the entertainment was provided by a series of bands incouding Hold My Beer, Double Standard, the Fake McCoys and the Barrelhouse: Beatles Tribute. Saturday’s activities were brought to a close with a fireworks display that didn’t leave anyone disappointed. On Sunday, Blackburn’s finest four-legged canines took over the ball diamond for Blackburn Fun Fair Dog Show. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2