MANITOWANING—Make some room on your calendar next weekend for the Southeast Manitoulin Lions Club’s 37th annual Summerfest activities including the club’s famous Sunday smash-up derby.
The fun begins this Friday, July 19 with the Jim Case Memorial Ball Tournament, so come out and cheer on your favourite teams beginning at 6 pm.
New this year, the Game On Express trailer will make its Manitowaning debut Friday night from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Game On Express is a video party on wheels that can host up to 28 people at once. The cost is free.
Another new Friday night event is laser tag at the Manitowaning Arena starting at 7 pm. Teams will be created on-site, so bring your friends!
The Lions Pavilion will once again feature live music, on Friday night by Rural Roots, and a beer garden all weekend-long. Also all weekend the Manitoulin Health Centre Auxiliary will be running the canteen in the arena, so stop by and show your support.
On Saturday, July 20, start the day off with a hearty pancake breakfast courtesy of Knox United Church from 9 to 11 am followed by the parade with the theme of ‘In the Jungle.’
Saturday will also feature inflatables at the fairgrounds from 12 to 4 pm and the Wiky 3, a Johnny Cash tribute band, will play at the Lions Pavilion from 12:30 to 2 pm. Head inside the arena Saturday and Sunday to check out the vendors selling their wares.
The children’s bike pull will get underway at 1 pm followed by the second annual lawn mower races, back by popular demand, from 2 to 4 pm.
The day will wrap up with the annual Summerfest dance, a video dance by Blake Debassige, from 9 pm to 1 am. The cost is $10 and a reminder to come with identification, as this is an age of majority dance only.
Sunday, July 21 will see a new Summerfest event, a soapbox derby on Queen Street beginning at 9 am. The soapboxes will be provided, so bring a helmet and a winning attitude!
At 1 pm, Summerfest’s signature event, the smash-up derby, gets underway. Be sure to come early and get a choice spot for viewing.
Lion President Lisa Hallaert urges Manitowaning residents to save their Summerfest empties this year as the Manitowaning Wolves atom team will be coming to collect them as a fundraiser for their team on Sunday.
Kagawong’s Summerfest is also on this weekend, but the schedule was not available as of press time.
