“The attendees were full of positive feedback,” Executive Officer with the Bancroft BIA Jody Didier tells My Bancroft Now. “It’s pretty much unanimous that 2019 Festival was the best yet.”
The festival saw multiple additions to the schedule including a second car show that went down on Saturday. Didier says the second “You Shine it, We’ll Show it” event went so well that next year will be “even bigger and better.” She says the 70-foot tall Ferris Wheel brought in by Homeniuk Rides was also a hit.
The “Shake the Shield” Poker Run also went well. In its second year, the cross-country motorcycle ride took participants through North Hastings and parts of the Madawaska Valley and raised money for Kids in Needs. While the fundraising total isn’t available, Dider says it was so successful this year that it’s been brought up that the event should be separate from Wheels, Water and Wings.
When asked if she had a highlight from the weekend, Dider couldn’t list just one. “Mary Kavanagh saw a group of teenagers come upon a garbage container that had been upset- the teens didn’t miss a beat,” she says. “They set it right and tidied up.” She says she noticed a toddler that was pretty excited to ride the midway as well. “Fabian says the boy quite literally, began vibrating with excitement,” Didier says. “His mother promised that they would come back over the weekend, to enjoy some rides- that news put a skip in the rest of the little fella’s walk.”
Didier says that while the event went off without a hitch, there’s always room for improvement. She asks that anyone with ideas on how to make Wheels, Water and Wings better in 2020 and beyond email the BIA at [email protected].