REBOOTING THE PARTY
Lasalle festival on Facebook
Lasalle’s Captain Strawberry has fine-tuned his dance moves and is challenging fellow town mascots to a video dance-off, with the winner getting bragging rights and a prime spot on the Lasalle Strawberry Festival Facebook page.
The contest is one of several virtual activities being held in lieu of the physical festival, which was cancelled this year due to the COVID -19 pandemic.
Recreation manager Patti Funaro said obviously most festivals and recreational activities are getting cancelled due to the pandemic but “we wanted some way to try to continue to connect with and engage with the community.
“So much of it ends up being us sort of pushing out things — here’s an idea, something you can do,” Funaro said. “This is our attempt at trying to get a way where the community would connect back with us.
“So whether it’s working together to do the escape room and then they can enter to win prizes or with the mascot dance off, they’re voting on it. So there’s just a little more two-way engagement with it.”
SAVE THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL GAME
Watch clips of Vinnie the Viper, Sparky the Firedog and Elmer the Safety Elephant as they bust a move in competition against Captain Strawberry on the town’s social media accounts through June 12. Vote for a favourite by liking the post.
The winner will be announced on June 13 at 10 a.m. on the Strawberry Fest Facebook page.
Families can help Captain Strawberry save the Strawberry Festival by cracking codes and solving puzzles via an online escape room adventure. Solve all the puzzles to reveal the master code to be entered to win a prize. The escape room is free and available through June 14 on the town’s website.
If you’d like to showcase your own talents, Rise 2 Fame youth talent search is hosting a virtual preliminary talent show competition, open to youth ages six to 21, through June 11.
Top three to five acts (depending on the number of entries), ages six to 12 and 13 to 21, will advance to the finals held virtually through London’s Western Fair. Winners will be announced by Lasalle’s Jeff Burrows, of the Tea Party, on June 14 at 3 p.m.
Performers must register before June 11 and provide a Youtube video performance link. Registration details and all of the entries (as they are submitted) can be found at www.lasalle.ca/strawberryfestival.
Finally, experience virtual rides, try some tasty festival food recipes and get a sneak peek at the 2021 entertainment schedule through the website.
“It’s certainly not the same as what we’re all used to,” Funaro said. “But we’re all trying to find our best way to continue doing some things.