On a Sunday afternoon that screamed relaxation and time for reflection, organizers of the annual Writers’ Festival here were smiling – but not quite sure just how many people turned up for the annual event.
Chairman of the board Susan Ratcliffe was uncertain Sunday afternoon how things had gone overall, but she noted that the group’s event in Guelph with Wade Davis had attracted 375 people alone to the city. As well, she said, there were 15 composers at the jazz workshop. The festival is working with the Guelph Jazz Festival and that appears to be going very well.
Sunday’s event certainly attracted hundreds of people. Even during the readings there was good attendance while the streets were also full.
Volunteer coordinator Barb Marshall said in an interview that well over 100 people a day offer their time to ensure everything goes smoothly. That includes people driving buses from outside the hamlet to the downtown, to people cooking for the readers at the festival, to people providing rides on ebikes that were donated by a shop in Guelph.
“We couldn’t do it without the volunteers,” Marshall said, adding that Guelph Eramosa Township provides free water for the visitors.
Several organizers pointed out that people began arriving early on Sunday, which is a little unusual but good for the festival and those who had booths lining the main street.
There were five areas where people could hear authors read from their works – with most of those sites backing onto the river and in grassy and shady areas. It was a completely idyllic set-up for the festival
And one volunteer, hurrying by on her way to some chore, summed up the festival quickly with, “What a perfect day.”
