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B OPINION CHERRY ON TOP: FESTIVAL IS A SUMMERTIME TRADITION MY FAMILY ALWAYS TAKES HOME DELICIOUS TREATS LIKE SWEET, TANGY TARTS, STRUDEL, OR CHERRY JAM, WRITES MARSHALL WARD My family loves cherries and we have been visiting the annual Cherry Festival in Kitchener's Cherry Park every year since it started ot was a modest event when it began as we had a barbecue and some games. And now our volunteer-run festival features two stages of live entertainment, car- MARSHALL WARD Column nival. rides, over 50 vendors, food icks, themed bake sale, he “an. tique car show and much more, with over 4,700 at- tending last year," said Dan Rudow, chair of the Cherry Festival committee. udow, who is also the treasurer of the Cherry Park Neighbourhood Asso- ciation credits many neigh- bours for the success and growth of the festival over the years, like Nelson and m@e Hear CANADA TURN UP LIFE, WATERLOO. Better hearing is coming soon. Your new HearCANADA centre is getting ready to open at Unit 3, 94 Bridgeport Road East. ¢ Get a free hearing assessment from a certified professional* * Enjoy same-day fittings* ¢ Leave with a hearing solution that suits your lifestyle Want to test drive the latest hearing tech for free? Call 1-866-623-3749 or pre-book online at HearCANADA.com Phylis Daul, Debbie Chap- man, Steve and Evelyn Pomery, Wilf and Linda Klaehn, Shirley and Chris Gosselin, Rick Ross, and Ir- ma and Less Toth. "We are just a bunch of neighbours that want to have some fun and build dow. "And the Cherry Park neighbourhood is a place where many people know one another and say hello in the street. If you are ever in a pinch, you can knock on a neighbour's door for help. Cherry Park is a great meeting pl ther you're going out for a stroll or skating in the winter, and I have made many great friendships here." I told Rudow how my family likes to get to the fes- tival early before they run those over + Available for out of cherry pies, and how much we enjoy the live en- tertainment. "For those who have nev- er been to the Cherry Festi- val, I always say there is something for everyone,” said Rudow. "This year we have On- ion Honey who are a tradi- tional folk and country band, along with magician JP Magic and renowned children's entertainer Er- ick Traplin, along with rock band Thirty Some- thing, and Alex Pangman, who isa trio-Juno nominat- ed traditional jazz vocalist. And on the second stage we have the dance troops tr tensely Irish anc Across the Floor, along with local musician Tyso1 Webb and the Waterloo mission to the festival is free.” Rudow expressed his ap- preciation for the work of the festival's waste man- agement volunteers, who sortall the garbage by hand _EHERRY “— PARK 5 nan ‘9 Aine ‘Aepsinyy | e]21U0sy49 oopeyem | 2 Marshall Ward photo. 3 The Cherry Festival in Kitchener's Cherry | Park happens July 8 mission and over SO vendor: and sage the recyclables and co "Our ‘estival had 4,700 visitors last year and only three bags of garbage went fill,” he said. “The Cherry Festival has about 100 volunteers and it truly is a group effort to mate it {happen as the plan- mittee meets in October seach year to get things start I told Rudow how every year my family always takes home some delicious treats from the Cherry Fes- tival like sweet, tangy tarts, strudel, or cherry jam. "For me, the best way to enjoy a cherry is to pick it fresh from the tree and en- joy it in the glorious July sun,” he sai The Cherry Festival at Cherry Park, with entranc- es at Strange Street and Park Street in Kitchener, runs July 8 from 11 a.m. to5 p.m. Free admission and plenty of free parking is available. Marshall Ward is a Freelance writer and artist. Check out his award-win- ning podcast at bonnpark- -com. i 3 3 3 5 8