Taste 15 types of butter tarts, get the hands dirty at a pottery studio, and shop for memorabilia and antiques during the first annual Celebrate the Tart Taste Fest on the Butter Tart Trail.
The festivities begin on June 28 and continue to July 1 to commemorate a uniquely Canadian confection on Canada Day in the rural heartland of southwestern Ontario.
Celebrate the Tart Taste Fest is an opportunity for neighbouring communities, grandmothers and mothers to compete for the best butter tart in a unique challenge offered by the member bakeries on the Butter Tart Trail and the Arthur Agricultural Society.
The Butter Tart Trail winds along the backroads of Wellington North, taking visitors to a mix of bakeries, dairies, markets, and produce outlets, and a variety of quirky shops.
The trail is anchored with stops in Arthur and Mount Forest.
Copies of this year’s trail are available at tourist outlets or downloaded at www.wellington-north.com.
“It’s a unique getaway experience,” said economic development officer Linda Reader.
“With the growing emphasis on organic food, promoting Ontario’s agricultural communities, and eating locally grown produce, Wellington North’s Butter Tart Trail offers visitors the best in farmgate produce, artwork, artisan delicacies – and delicious butter tarts,” she said
“The trail is a great destination that’s also close by,” Reader said.
The idea for the trail began in 2006, with 13 stops, and it has now grown to 17.
Those stops are complemented by often unexpected surprises of local farms offering eggs, honey, fresh fruit and vegetables, baking and cheeses – selling directly from the farm gate.
June 28
Mount Forest:
Queen’s Bush Café and Village Bakery has a show of visiting artists sponsored on the trail map, Carnegie Library Building next door.
– Mount Forest Open for historical reference and viewing of Archives heritage artifacts. Five year anniversary, 2008. Main Street, public washrooms, noon – 5 Public Washrooms, 10-5pm;
– Murphy Park Trail committee barbecue lunch noon. Wetland’s Trail Dedication 2pm. Launch of Wellington North Birding Trail – Bobolinks to Snipes birding viewing platform – Wetlands Trail;
– Night and Day Pottery Visitors are encouraged to dig into the clay and let their creative side take over. Demonstrations will be ongoing.
– Caleb Martin Farm. Watch how lumber is made from trees in a sawmill demonstration, how rails are split or fence posts made for old fashioned split rail fences. Home grown produce, including hot house tomatoes.
– B-Active Cycle & Fitness Cycling scavenger hunt with prizes for winning team of a parent-child or adult-child combination.
– Yellow Jasmine Galleries Giant yard sale: antiques, collectibles, art deco number 7 etc. and a bed and breakfast with a 1920s theme.
– Kenilworth Country Kitchen Butter Tart sundaes on special all weekend long.
Arthur
– Shepherd’s Watch, 100 Farmers’ Market in parking lot plus 100 mile local and Mile Market produce and artisans inside. Coffee shop. Washrooms.
– Brenda’s Bakery
– River’s Edge Goat Dairy Saturday open house. Visit the goats and try the goat milk products – milk, yogurt, 2 to 5pm, cheeses, soaps and lotions. On Tuesday, see how a goat dairy operation works first hand. Fun and educational for the whole family.
– Arthur Greenhouse. Red and white for Canada Day all weekend long.
– Damascus Emporium. Number 14 July 1 Canada Day sale and cake for all visitors.
As Reader continued her presentation to councillors recently, she noted trail brochures are already sent to tourist centres from Muskoka to Sarnia to the GTA.
With this year’s official launch during the Canada Day weekend, organizers considered trying something different – a tart taste test.
The partnership with the Arthur Agricultural Society will include the competition at the Arthur community centre utilizing celebrity judges. “We’re still working on the details,” she said.
