Bala Cranberry Festival 2009

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can get to the biggest and best Bala Celebration in Muskoka.

Cranfest, 2008, was a busy year!

Those who know say that this had been the best weather and the best turnout ever for our Cranberry Festival (2008 photos); (2007 photos of the bog).

As the weeks get closer to the Cranberry Festival, Cran Gran in Charge (CGIC) sends out these little elves, Cran Elves, to various communities to let every one know that Cran Fest is approaching.

You can hear them in the window in the morning. These little guy zip around, letting people know, and reminding them to stop their busy city events and come to the country to celebrate the harvest. Now, compared to Christmas this is a low key thing, but it always fine to celebrate the end of one season and the beginning of another.

When we awoke in Ottawa, during our October trip visiting the family, we could hear them.

They were afraid that we might not be back in time.
They probably hitched a ride with us, just for fun.

Ottawans are not very familiar with Cran Fest, unless they travel with family it is a long 6- hour drive back to Muskoka.

For many, those who can take a day off of work after Thanksgiving, they can help celebrate the Autumn Solstice and batten down the cottage hatches to be ready for winter. They pull up boats and put on the boat coats.

People drop everything, and visit cottage country, no hockey, no curling, just a beautiful outdoor celebration of the arts and crafts, as well as the food, and other goods you can buy.

This is the highlight of the Bala year: the Cranberry Festival. We sold 18,000 admission buttons and tons of cranberries in 2008. The profits go to community support: scholarships and bursaries. A good time was had by all: the growers, artisans, visitors, even the motorcyclists who tried to jump the queue (check out the video)! You can take a bus out to the cranberry bog and see what that is like.

You can park at one end of town, and take the Bracebridge trolley and school busses that ferry people up and down the route. Y

ou just must walk, not drive through. With 18,000 last year, it is a slow drive or walk through town!

There are many of all ages who volunteer their time to assist in this fundraiser, and many who protest the entry fee, but they are good causes.

Great young people whom we love and respect.

Then there is the Cran Anne Contest! You know that Anne of Green Gables was written here during L.M. Montgomery's two-week stay in Bala. You have to visit the Bala Museum to see a reproduction of a house of the times. .Bala's L. M. Montgomery Museum

 The ambulance group had a display - Lord knows, what with the accidents and medical issues around here, we adore these folks!

I must go a prepare for the event. All of us in town volunteer, the Cran Elves are no where to be seen as they begin preparations. It is us to us peeps to do the work. The event is a lesson in volunteerism and coordination. All 3 churches organize volunteer lists. Many work hard, all the groups have a booth, or otherwise help out: Shriners, firefighters, etc.
There is a duck race, as a fund raiser, over the falls.

Hope to see you here!






Be sure to check out my earlier video: on dangerous driving, as motorcycles skip around town, ignoring traffic rules. Be careful with the little ones quite excited wandering the streets. Parents, hang on to your kids!

Rick Mercer was here in 2007. That was a hoot.

RMR: Rick and Cranberry Festival
	- 5 min - 25 Mar 2010 - Uploaded by MercerReport Rick gets in the bog. (originally aired: October 16, 2007)

Cranfest 2008

We visited PeachFest in Niagara-on-the-lake this August, where our son was employed. That was fun. The fall harvest is a great tradition to celebrate. I love the Ontario festivals circuits. What is great about our Muskoka Lakes community is the efforts of local business owners to use local produce, i.e., Marty's Cafe, in Bracebridge. We believe in Muskoka.

Those who know say that this has been the best weather and the best turnout ever for our Cranberry Festival (2008 photos); (2007 photos of the bog).

Our festival's profits go to support charities in the area. I managed to convince a group of barrier-jumpers, who didn't think they needed to buy their buttons! It all goes to the community.




There are cranberries for sale, as well as cranberry bread, muffins, wine, jam, lots of local honey and other arts and craft products. We have two local bogs: Johnson's and the Wahta Reserve. They really put on a fine show with tours of the cranberry bog. Rick Mercer put us on the map last year by visiting. Last week he was in the area tubing behind our steamship.



While some of the trees have lost their leaves, many more are yellow and gold. The peak for colours was definitely a week ago.


There were tons of people, cars, dogs, babies in strollers, busses. Thanks goodness for our police officers who directed traffic.
The trolley and school busses take people through town. We had compliments on our transporation system! Visitors are advised to park at either end of town and hop on the busses. The price of admission is a $6 button.

Many thanks to the volunteers who give up their time to sit on the Board of Directors, work at the button booths and gates, coordinate volunteers, sit on the arts jury, and facilitate this event.

We sold out of our 18,000 buttons. What a great weekend!

Cranberry Festival in Bala 2007

I missed the CranAnne contest! No matter. I have photos...
We've had a raccoon visitor, but the humans are scarce. We should have rented the cottage this weekend! They are turning them away at the hotel.
Total zoo in town. Total zoo at home!

Brian wants brownie points for visiting the cranberry bog during peak time. What were we thinking? Other than it was dumping rain, in 5 degree morning temperatures, and we put it off. (August would have been a better time to visit!)