The Wellington County Showcase at the International Plowing Match will illustrate how “innovative and vibrant” the region is, says economic development officer Jana Burns.
As part of the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) Sept. 20 to 24 near Harriston, the County of Wellington will set up a 300-by-300-foot showcase display at the entrance of the IPM.
Burns, who along with chair Janice Hindley and county emergency coordinator Linda Dickson is part of the showcase committee, told county council at the June 30 meeting, “we’re really taking advantage of the fact were having an audience of over 100,000 people. We want to leave an impression of Wellington County in terms of what we offer here.”
Showcase visitors can learn about local communities by wandering through local municipality booths, ride a zipline over a living, growing Wellington County map, tour the “Taps of Wellington,” watch demonstrations and be entertained by local musicians, visit a farmers’ market and sample the “Tastes of Wellington.”
On top of these daily activities, the county is organizing and promoting special programming including the Taste Real Harvest Dinner, a Careers in Agriculture event and a Future Farmers evening.
On Sept. 22, county council will hold its regular meeting in the showcase tent, which will be open for the public to attend.
Dickson explained the county’s engineering services department, library, museum and archives, social services, and Green Legacy program will all be represented in the showcase, as will the Wellington OPP, emergency management, Crime Stoppers and the Wellington County Safe Communities Committee.
Each municipality in the county will also have a display highlighting local features.
“This is an opportunity to showcase Wellington County and all our townships and our towns to over 1000,000 people … and it’s going to be done right,” said Warden George Bridge.
Demonstrations and entertainment from the county will be featured on stages in the showcase from 9am to 4pm daily. For information on being part of the showcase go to wellington.ca/en/IPM2016.asp.
IPM 2016 chair Ron Faulkner noted work on the site is underway and the county has installed the service entrance and exit.
Faulkner said about 700 volunteers have signed up to help with the match and the committee is now within sight of corporate sponsorship goals.
“We feel we’re in great shape,” said Faulkner.
“I can’t emphasize how much I appreciate the county support and involvement in this great event.”
