In the wake of a very successful launch last fall, Crowfest is flocking back to Chatham this October.
The event saw Chatham’s downtown filled with world-class buskers, shops showing off their crow decor, a night market and a fundraising gala.
This year’s endeavour will kick off with a new addition, the Olde Crows Tea. It takes place on Oct. 11 at 11:30 a.m. in the Derby Room at Retro Suites in downtown Chatham.
“It will bring in the senior population. And then they can go downtown and look at the storefronts that will all be decorated,” said Jan Reinhardus, one of the event’s organizers.
This Victorian style Tea, with an underlying crow theme, features lunch, a penny sale, treats to take home and live entertainment.
Reinhardus and fellow organizer Robert Francis encourage people to dress up for the event. They spoke to The Voice while dressed in their own Victorian era costumes.
A day after the tea is a night of murder.
A Murder of Crows is the title of this year’s gala. It’s a murder mystery dinner that takes place Oct. 12 at 6:45 p.m. at the Portuguese Canadian Club on Grand Avenue East in Chatham.
There will be entertainment, a silent auction, mystery bags and more, according to the organizers.
Proceeds from the event go to support the VON Kids Circle and PAWR.
One of the organizers, Dianne Lloyd, said the enthusiasm shown by last year’s patrons was incredible.
“Last year was amazing. It was unbelievable,” Lloyd said. “At the gala, we said nothing about coming dressed for the event, and just about everyone came dressed in crow outfits or crow-themed attire.”
The challenge this year is to dress to impress. With a murdery mystery, perhaps some will arrive dressed to kill.
Tracy Lewis, who also is involved in the gala preparation work, said planning began in January, and sponsors for the dinner are varied, including a couple of local funeral homes.
When there is a murder mystery, why not?
The script for the murder mystery is being written by two local actors, Keith Burnett and J.C. Wright, and will include local suspects and businesses that have supported the gala, organizers said.
Tickets for the gala are on sale at cktickets.ca, while tickets for the tea can be purchased in person at the PAWR office on Grand Avenue East, or online at pawr.org.
Details about the other offerings over the course of the five-day event have yet to be released. However, many returning highlights include the international buskers, arts and costumes contests, downtown storefront decorating, the “Crow your Boat” races and more.
Organizers of the tea and the gala said efforts are underway to step things up, as they have seen what other communities have done.
Francis said the planning and execution of events in outlying communities, especially Dresden, provide enthusiasm for Chatham residents to put on new events as well.
“If that small community can put on a big show, why can’t Chatham,” he said.
Crowfest 2023 is building on a success. The 2022 version of Crowfest won the 2022 Ontario Best New Festivals and Events award.
