It’s food, fun and family time in Blenheim this weekend.
Starting Thursday, the annual Cherry Fest and Blenheim Sidewalk Days event takes place in the South Kent community.
J.P. Huggins, chair of Cherry Fest, said this year promises to be jam-packed.
“It’s a great family festival. There’s something for everyone. Rides for the younger kids and teenagers. We have awesome shopping downtown and fantastic deals from merchants. There is lots of great entertainment. There is free stuff to do – face painting, a fingerprint clinic, dancers, gymnasts, and martial artists on display,” he said.
Much of the fun revolves around delicious, locally grown cherries. The Blenheim Youth Centre runs Cherry Central, a food and beverage booth in the middle of the downtown. Volunteers will sell fresh sweet cherries from Delhaven Orchards, a long-time supporter of the event.
“They also provide the cherries for pit spitting,” Huggins said of Delhaven. “People don’t realize how fortunate we are to have the fresh fruits and vegetables so close by.”
Cherry Central is also known for the interesting flavoured pop it sells. Huggins said getting that pop, which typically isn’t sold around Chatham-Kent, can involve someone making a trip into the U.S., sometimes quite a distance.
The ladies of Trinity Anglican Church will again make their delicious pies to sell, and cherry-glazed ribs will return. Last year, amateur smoker competitors Smokin’ Aces introduced the ribs, and they were a hit, Huggins said, as they sold out.
There will be another tasty option this year, as Huggins advises visitors to look for someone making cherry crepes.
Cherry Fest wouldn’t be complete without its annual cherry pit-spitting competitions Saturday afternoon. Huggins said organizers are looking to the public for some help in setting a world record this year as well – for the most people simultaneously spitting cherry pits.
“It doesn’t matter if you hit yourself in the foot, all you have to do is spit,” he said, adding they are looking to top the record of 250 people spitting pits at the same time.
The downtown is closed to vehicular traffic throughout the festival, as midway rides and booths occupy the heart of Blenheim, drawing in thousands of people.
Huggins said this will be the third year World’s Finest Shows will operate the midway rides.
“We’ll have seven rides. Ride-all-day passes are only $20 – we try to keep the prices a little lower for families,” he said.
Cherry-oke continues to gain popularity. The friendly singing competition takes place Thursday night, Huggins said, and is growing.
“The first year, we had it scheduled for 45 minutes. Every year we keep growing,” he said. “Last year, we did about two hours and still cut people off. This year, it will be three or 3.5 hours long.”
There’s no charge to enter, and one lucky participant, chosen at random, will receive a cash prize.
On Friday morning, Postma Fitness will set up a free obstacle course.
The pie-eating contest takes place at 6 p.m.
There will be live local bands playing from 7:30 p.m. until 11 p.m.
On Saturday, Life by Design will put on a cross-fit demonstration in the morning.
That will be followed by the kids’ pit-spitting event, the Guinness world record attempt (sign up begins at 11:30 a.m.), a celebrity spit off, and the Canadian national pit-spitting competition.
Huggins admits he loves Cherry Fest. In fact, he’s been involved for the past 25 years taking part in the pit spitting competition.
“I’ve spit in this competition since I was about 12,” he said, adding that initially the event took place in Cedar Springs. “I’ve been married 19 years. I remember going to this festival when my wife and I were dating.”
And he’s kept it in the family.
“I just like being involved. My kids all help out. I like to teach my kids to give back,” he said.
