ELORA – The Centre Wellington Black Committee is holding its third annual CW Family Fun Day on Sept. 1 in Bissell Park – a milestone organizers can’t quite believe is happening.
It’s taken time for the community to discover the event, said committee founder and president Millicent Gordon in a phone interview.
It falls on a long weekend, just before back to school, and many locals are busy wrapping up their summer.
“But we are determined to go ahead with it,” Gordon said.
“And we are growing – in size, in attendance, and in support from individuals and community groups.
“It seems like we are one of the only free events in town.”
Family Fun Day was born from the pandemic.
The township was offering grants in 2022 for small events to encourage socializing and build community as people came out of their homes and began to mix again after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The newly-formed Centre Wellington Black Committee received $1,000 and used it for a community celebration: Family Fun Day.
It featured Black musicians, Caribbean food, activities for children, a fashion show and a friendly, easy-going vibe.
The township doesn’t offer neighbourhood grants anymore, but the committee has found sponsors and individual donors, and groups that have participated in the past are taking on more responsibility.
Local firefighters offered rope for a tug of war contest in the past; this year firefighters are fielding a team.
The Karger Gallery participated in past fashion shows; this year they are organizing it, Gordon said, with models from the Kween Company.
“That’s what I mean about growing support,” she added. “We know we have to prove ourselves.
“That’s why it’s so rewarding to get this kind of support and assistance. It lets us know we’re providing something that people want.”
Gordon said when someone makes a suggestion for a new event or activity, the committee is open to adding it to the mix.
That’s why there is a domino tournament this year.
Other highlights include:
- free pizza, courtesy of Domino’s Pizza, to the first 50 children under age of 13;
- food trucks;
- live music by Errol Blackwell Injahband, Ekhaya World Band, Richie C, Gerima and Friends, Acoustic Steel, and more;
- fitness by Guyana Fit Chick;
- a foam party;
- laser tag; and
- face painting.
Donations of non-perishable food for the Door will also be accepted.
The Door is a faith-based facility located in Fergus where youth can access food, recreation and other services.
“I had no idea this was happening in the community,” Gordon said when she first heard about the Door. “I would love for them to be a permanent part of the festival, too.
“This is another example of community spirit and helping each other.”
The Centre Wellington Black Community’s other big purpose, that has also evolved over time, is to perform its Awakened Voices narratives.
These are performances by Black actors that tell the stories of Black people in history, from the Underground Railroad and beyond.
It started with a narrative about Richard Pierpoint, a freed slave who was granted land in Centre Wellington and is credited with forming the first Black community in the region.
This summer, Awakened Voices hit the road, with performances in Windsor, for its jubilee celebration of emancipation, and in Dresden at the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History.
Gordon said they did some research and incorporated historical characters from Windsor and Dresden into the storylines.
“People appreciated it,” Gordon said. “It was a lot of work for us but a very rewarding experience.”
She hopes Awakened Voices will travel to Halifax next year now that the group has received a grant from Heritage Canada.
“Our vision is expanding,” she said.
Family Fun Day takes place at on Sept. 1 from 11am to 6pm at Bissell Park.
Visit cwblackcommittee.ca for more information.
