Savouring the Festival of Flavours
Nothing could dampen the spirit of three year old Madaleine Miller enjoying her polish sausage at the Festival of Flavours Sunday!
Main Street in Vankleek Hill was dotted with umbrellas during the Festival of Flavours September 13.
Visitors from far and wide could not be dampened by the rain on Sunday, as thousands of people showed up throughout the day for the festival, to enjoy music, food, and friendship. “It’s a great opportunity to meet with friends and try some local food,” said Vankleek Hill resident, Andy Perrault.
People came out in droves to experience the annual event. Kiosks from approximately 65 vendors bordered the streets as visitors lined up to purchase tasty treats from around the globe. “I had a smoked polish sausage from Trillium Meadows,” said Tom Malmgren from Brownsburg. “It was fantastic. It was so good, I had two.”
Food from Thailand, Greece, Russia, Tibet, Switzerland, India, Turkey, Argentina, and Belgium, as well as locally produced Canadian cuisine was available, much to the delight of visitors. “I had a wild boar burger,” said Jesse Fehr from Vankleek Hill. “It was really good, juicy and very tasty.”
Visitors look forward to the annual event, which is put on by the Vankleek Hill Farmers Market. Many of the market vendors had kiosks at the festival and also sell their food at the market, Saturday mornings, at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute.
The Festival of Flavours has been celebrated for 18 years, starting at Mary’s Country Kitchen, with six vendors and 40 visitors. The festival now receives close to 6,000 visitors each year.
“Why is this such a big deal?” asked Phil Arber, producer of the event. “It’s a chance we get to show off not only the amazing talent of our food producers, but also our town. Fairs and events are important to the livelihood of the town.”