The town of Callander is working to bring back the Cranberry Festival, a popular annual event occurring on Cranberry Trail.
Last year’s event was put off because of Covid, but now things are looking up, and the planning committee is putting the wheels in motion to produce another celebration of all things cranberry on September 25.
Festivities are focused on the Cranberry Trail, which begins at the end of Cranberry Road in Callander, and winds down to Callander Bay.
See: Hundreds celebrate the little red berry at Cranberry Day festivities
The trail is 2.5 kms, a bit of a hike for most, and in the past the town has provided a horse drawn carriage to shuttle people to the cranberry marsh.
Osprey Links, a near-by golf course that hedges Cranberry Road, also loaned out some golf carts to help transport people to the picking grounds.
There was also a free shuttle bus from the Callander Community Centre that left every thirty minutes, and leashed pets were also welcome on that ride.
“It gets a little packed” for parking “at the trail itself,” Mayor Robb Noon said, which is why they added the shuttle from the Centre, which has a large parking lot.
Things may look a little different this year on the transportation front. However, Mayor Noon mentioned that the planning committee is figuring out a plan that accommodates current Covid concerns.
He does know that the horse drawn carriage will be out of the transport roster as the seating “is a little close for comfort,” but other options are on the table.
There are also vendors who set up at the start of the trail, “so we’re organizing those vendors to see who will be coming” again this year, Mayor Noon said, “we’re letting everyone know that we’re trying to make this happen.”
Noon is glad to bring the event back, as “it’s a great way to show off our municipality and the trail system,” which for many remains a hidden gem.
The event is still in the planning stage, but more information will be released soon on Callander’s event page on their website.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
