Adam Prudhomme
Editor
The village of Tamworth will celebrate its 175th anniversary in style on June 10 with a fun filled day of heritage demonstrations, historical displays, games and live music.
Town crier Chris Whyman will kick things off with an opening ceremony at 10:45 a.m. and the fun will keep rolling throughout the day with displays set up throughout the village and along Main Street. Live entertainment will be on stage throughout the day, capped off with a performance by Great Big Sea founder Séan McCann.
“Our goal was to bring community together and of course all our Stone Mills residents,” said Lorraine Prue, one of the event organizers who has been planning for the big day for over 15 months. “There’s so many people that have moved away that are coming back just to celebrate and meet their old friends and their relatives.”
Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic and visitors will be free to walk along the road and check out all the happenings. Volunteers will be scattered throughout the village dressed in clothing from the many eras of Tamworth’s past.
Event organizers strived to make an event that had something for everyone and for all ages, merging the past with the present. Heritage demonstrations will include fleece spinning, basket weaving, bee keeping, soap making and an artisan market. For the kids there will be face painting, games, buggy rides and photo booths. For those interested in Tamworth’s history there will be displays that focus on vehicles and equipment, former businesses, churches cemeteries and schools, British home children, an overview of the history of Sheffield Township as well as Moss and Bradshaw Mills displays.
“I just called all the young people whose parents had stores, or their grandparents had some type of business. They’re all going to be doing some sort of display and history so we’re going to have that all on exhibit,” said Prue.
The live entertainment kicks off with the Napanee Pioneer Square Dance Club from 11 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. From there Seventh Town Ceili Band and Harp of Tara Dancers take the stage from noon to 1 p.m. followed by the Kelli Trottier Band from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
McCann ‘the Shanty Man’ will close the show and the event with a performance from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The event is free of charge.