This community will hold a special New Year’s Eve party in the downtown Dec 31 with family entertainment, and a special early ringing-in for families with young children.
The town with Scottish roots remembers that New Year’s was far more important as a festive celebration than Christmas in the olden days, and organizers will use the event to begin a year-long celebration of Fergus’ 175th anniversary.
Family friendly activities and music are featured from 7 to 9pm, and musical entertainment takes place starting at 9pm with a full celebration at midnight, including bell-ringing.
Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
Centre Wellington council recently approved some cash to help kick start the festivities.
For more information contact Fergus Information Centre at 519-843-5140.
Help wanted
With three major events in the planning stages, the Fergus 175 committee is looking for more community involvement. The committee has been working since the summer getting ready for the town’s birthday.
The Fergus First Night celebration on Dec. 31 is just the first of the events. A big homecoming celebration of Fergus 175th will take place from June 28 through July 1, starting with a major summer street festival, A Doors Open tour of heritage buildings, a concert featuring local musicians and bands, and things to do for the whole family are being planned for four days of activities, finishing with the annual July 1 Canada Day celebrations hosted by the township of Centre Wellington.
Plans for a major fall 2008 event to finish the anniversary year have not yet been finalized, although committee members are working on ideas.
“The street festival is expected to include visual, culinary, and musical art components throughout the downtown,” said BIA executive director Julia Tyndale-Biscoe.
Artists in Templin Gardens, buskers through the downtown, and local restaurateurs and chefs providing treats to taste will link together with other community events to kick off the long weekend of events.
At the last meeting, the committee accepted an official logo which can be used to promote events – with permission. An image containing Scottish elements was very important to the committee. Designer Joanne Rutherford, of Fergus used a font developed in the mid 1800s by Scottish architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
A Celtic triangle knot is symbolic of the Celtic philosophy that everything has three distinct yet interlocked levels. When the Celts embraced Christianity, they used the symbol to represent the Trinity. Where four of them make a square, it is said to represent the four seasons, the four seasonal lunar holidays, and the four elements of earth, air, fire and water.
The Grand River and natural setting of Fergus is represented by the green and use of the blue waves. Using the historic colours is like the tartans of old and use of brown is to represent the stone buildings of Fergus.
The group is also looking for events and activities taking place in other parts of the community, as the first two planned events have a downtown focus. The 2008 Fergus Truck Show and 2008 Scottish Festival have agreed to include historic components in their festivals as part of the celebration.
Organizers are encouraging groups and organizations planning regular activities during 2008 to put together a historic or anniversary component which they can promote as part of the 175th anniversary celebrations of Fergus.
“We want as many groups and organizations involved in the 175th birthday celebrations as possible,” said Fergus 175th committee chairman Mary Lloyd.
“We know a lot of organizations are having special events, or celebrating anniversaries of their own. We’re interested in promoting those activities as part of a year-long birthday celebration.”
The committee is hoping to gather a list of all those activities to include on the anniversary’s website Fergus175.com.
For more information, contact the Fergus Information Centre at 519-843-5140.
