TurtleFest planning new features amongst old favourites

Broadway turned into a sea of people last year after the street was closed for the annual TurtleFest. A variety of activities are planned throughout the day, including live music, children’s areas, an agricultural display and young entrepreneur zone. (Jeff Helsdon Photo).

By Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tillsonburg is preparing for its largest festival of the year.

TurtleFest, which drew approximately 30,000 people to town last year, will begin on June 13, with the main event taking place on June 14. The festival is named in tribute to town lore that says town founder George Tillson came back in the form of a turtle in the 1800s to check on the progress of the town he founded. With the founding of the town 200 years ago in 1825, there are special tributes to pay heed to the bicentennial.

The mascot, George T. Turtle, will be seen wandering the downtown streets during the main event on Saturday. Other old favourites will be back, along with new features.

For the first time, TurtleFest will have a special focus on the town’s agricultural heritage with an agriculture zone in the parking lot by CIBC. It will include displays of agricultural equipment from local dealers, a display by the Gay Lea Dairy Museum from Aylmer, and a food preparation demonstration. Mark Renaud, chair of the TurtleFest committee, likened the food preparation display to a television food show , except it will be live. The Carver Kings will be demonstrating chainsaw carving in the area.

The Young Entrepreneur’s Alley is a new feature for businesspeople under the age of 16. Running from noon to 4 p.m., this area will include a crochet vendor, a lemonade stand, craft vendors, and food vendors. The youngest entrepreneur is just six years of age.

The idea to feature young entrepreneurs came from TurtleFest committee member Olivia Taylor.

Committee member Vanessa Fortner explained the thinking behind the display. “Tillsonburg is known for its entrepreneurs and we want to showcase the creativity and what is to come in our community.”

The popular food trucks that are a part of TurtleFest and were scattered throughout downtown are now being concentrated in one area on Brock Street East.

 “A lot of festivals have food zones, so we are replicating what others are doing,” Fortner said.

“People can see all the options instead of going from one area to another,” TurtleFest coordinator Terry Fraser added.

Musical entertainment will continue all day on the stage at Broadway and Baldwin Street. There will be live music throughout the day, featuring something for every taste, including rock, country, and R&B. Several local acts performing at 3 p.m., and popular area band North of 60 will play at 5 p.m. Two-time Juno Award nominee for Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year Adrian Sutherland will present his music at 4. Texas King takes the stage at 9 p.m. This country rock band was chosen as a compromise after a committee poll found an even split between preferences for country and rock.

The reptile trailer, which featured a display of live reptiles last year, will be expanded to a 40-foot trailer housing more than 20 reptiles. They will also be presenting shows.

Favourites such as the petting zoo and inflatable turtle bouncy castle will return. The Creative Imaginations area, presented by the Station Arts Centre, offers numerous activities for youth.

Saturday will have several options at Annandale House National Historic Site from noon to 3 p.m. These include information on how to save turtles you see on the road, Scales Nature Park providing interaction with snakes and turtles, the Toronto Lego Club building a large turtle, Slider the Skunk, local author Jason Pongracz signing his book “Tillsonburg at 200 1825-2025: 200 Questions and Answers About Our Town” and a presentation by the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.

Annandale House’s exhibit Tillsonburg 1825 will open on Saturday.

“Tillsonburg Town Council is pleased to support TurtleFest,” said Mayor Deb Gilvesy. “Our annual event is not just an event – it’s a tradition. It’s a chance to draw people into our downtown, to breathe life into our local shops, to fill our sidewalks with music and food and to remind ourselves that there’s something truly magical about small town life.”

Friday night activities

The official TurtleFest ribbon cutting will take place at the Station Arts Centre at 4 p.m. The opening of the exhibit “Slow and Steady”, which features more than 30 artist works inspired by turtles, will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This is a people’s choice exhibit, where visitors can vote on their favourite piece.

Friday’s activities then move to Annandale House, with turtle rock painting, carnival games, and offerings from food trucks available starting at 6 p.m. A turtle-appropriate movie, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) “ will then begin on the lawn at dusk.