Eat & Drink Norfolk festival fills The Aud

Chris Abbott

Editor

Norfolk County Agricultural Society’s annual Eat & Drink Norfolk, one of the Top 100 Festivals & Events in Ontario, lived up to that standard once again, April 9-11 at The Aud in Simcoe.

Festivals are ranked by tourism and economic impact, so the Agricultural Society tries to involve as many other businesses as they can, said Angela Hogeveen, General Manager.

“That’s a huge part of it,” said Hogeveen. “Also, it’s the uniqueness of the event. It’s not just about the food and wine, it’s the market, as well as the local music, kind of showcasing everything we have here in Norfolk.

“It’s really an experience, it’s a night out. The ambience, the lighting, the atmosphere is really special.

“This is a ‘barn’ during the fair… and (looking up at the multi-light LED chandeliers) you would never know it,” she laughed. “There’s certainly been an evolution over the years, but this is an event that we try to make a little bit fancier. With the drapes, the lighting, the identity of the event is a little bit different from the other grassroots events that we do. It elevates it.”

One of the big changes this year was ‘going digital.’ Instead of using physical tokens, festival patrons used their cellular phones to purchase food and drinks at the festival.  “That was a highlight for us,” said Hogeveen. “Of course, there are always kinks and learning curves, some growing pains, but all-in-all it’s been good. It’s good for the vendors and easier to manage all around, so that’s been exciting.”

Twenty-three food and beverage vendors were at the festival, an event presented by CIBC Private Wealth, showcasing some familiar vendors, and some new.

“We have a lot of beer and wine producers here in Norfolk, and spirits are popular,” said Hogeveen, noting NE1 Spirits from nearby Mount Brydges was one of the newest additions to the beverage lineup. “Canned beverages – seltzers - people seem to really like them, so that was something we thought we would try out.”

Another 20 food and artisan vendors joined the festival’s Mini Market.

“We’re really proud of the Mini Market,” Hogeveen nodded. “It’s taking the concept of some the other events that we do – market vendors and local artisans – allowing them to sell their products here in a centralized market, which is awesome. And they don’t have to be here, we sell it for them.”

Live entertainment across three festival days included Felicia McMinn, Brad Hailz, Brousseau & Co, Fiddlestix, Paul Mallard, PYNX DJ Dance Party, and the Jesse Murphy Band. Thursday and Friday attendance was good, said Hogeveen, but on Saturday it was “absolutely phenomenal. It’s off the charts. We’re pretty much as full as we could be, which is great.”

They also had a lot of new, first-time patrons, she noted.