A Taste of Manitoulin offers tempting treats and events starting this weekend

MANITOULIN—A Taste of Manitoulin (TOM), the Island-wide food, culture and heritage festival, starts this weekend and continues each weekend until October 6, highlighting different communities each day. The fall fun kicks off this Saturday, September 14 at the Perivale Gallery in Spring Bay from 10 am to 5 pm. The gallery will be creating a harvest themed still life on its grounds “to inspire your creativity.” Participants are asked to bring the medium of their choice to create a painting or drawing based on the still life display with prizes being awarded in four different age categories—4-8, 9-12, 13-17 and adult. To register call 705-377-4847 or email the gallery at perivalegallery@gmail.com. In case of inclement weather the event will be moved to the Spring Bay Community Centre. In Sheguiandah on Saturday, the Centennial Museum will be hosting its third annual Fall Fair, antique tractor display and barbecue. Exhibits will be on display from 10:30 am to 4 pm, while the barbecue and antique tractor display will be from 11:30 am to 4 pm. There will also be children’s activities from 1-4 pm. 100.7 The Island will be hosting an outdoor movie night on Saturday night in Little Current starting at 8:30 pm at the Country Fest grounds. Sunday, September 15 will be the start of ‘Golf your way around the Island.’ Participants are encouraged to buy a TOM ‘round about golf package’ (available from the participating golf courses or the Manitoulin Welcome Centre in Little Current). For $135, participants receive nine holes of golf and a power cart rental at Rainbow Ridge, the Manitoulin Island Country Club and Brookwood Brae Golf Course. Packages must be used between September 14 to October 6, and passport vouchers must be signed and time validated by each location in order to be eligible to win prizes including golf course packages from the participating golf courses and a $100 cash prize from the Manitoulin Tourism Association. During the second weekend, on September 21 to 22 Maja’s in Mindemoya will be holding a Gourmet Garden Gig on Saturday, September 21 from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. The cost is $50 per person and includes a three course organic dinner, a stroll through the garden, local music and dance. Also on Saturday, in South Baymouth there will be a Road Rally and market. The starting line will be at the John Budd Park Pavilion at noon with an information session and registration starting at 11 am. The Road Rally consists of a scavenger hunt with riddles to solve while following directions on a grid map and other clues to follow along the way. There will be two categories and lots of prizes to be won. The cost will be $25 per car for a driver/navigator team, and $35 per car for the family division, which includes a team or three or more. The market will be open from 9 am to 1 pm with lots of local fruits, vegetables, baking, preserves and crafts available. There will also be music by the Backroads at the Triangle Seniors’ Hall in Tehkummah from 1 to 4 pm with a light lunch available on Saturday afternoon at a cost of $8 a person. A pig roast at Gordon’s Park will conclude Saturday’s TOM events, starting at 5 pm and at a cost of $16 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Sunday will begin with an all you can eat pancake breakfast at the Tehkummah Hall from 9 am-1 pm, sponsored by the Tehkummah Fire Department. The cost is $8 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and free for children under three. As well, there is an open house and family history day at the South Baymouth museum from 1 to 4 pm. On the weekend of September 28-29, the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation will be holding a Traditional Teaching workshop by Leona Nahwegahbow from 11 am to 3 pm. The last weekend, October 5-6, will highlight Central and Western Manitoulin. On Saturday, October 5 there will be a special Mindemoya Market from 9 am to 12:30 pm with live music, a café, and produce, baking and crafts for sale. Sunday’s events will start with breakfast at Stop 540 in Silver Water from 8 to 10 am. The United Church service “O taste and see that The Lord is good” from Rev. Janice Frame will take place at 9:15 am at the Meldrum Bay church, 11 am at the Silver Water church, followed by lunch at the Marina Exhibit Building at noon, and 1:30 pm at the Elizabeth Bay church. The Friends of Misery Bay will be hosting a fall walking tour of the Misery Bay Provincial Park from 11 am to 2 pm. Finally, there will be a trade fair and live music in downtown Meldrum Bay from noon until 4 pm. Throughout the four weeks of A Taste of Manitoulin there will be a Hawberry Recipe Contest hosted by The Manitoulin Expositor. Individuals are encouraged to send their Hawberry recipes to The Manitoulin Expositor for your chance to win a five-year subscription to The Expositor, with all entries published online at www.manitoulin.ca. The winning entry will be chosen on the final day of the TOM festival on Sunday, October 6. Entries can be mailed to The Manitoulin Expositor at PO Box 369, Little Current ON, P0P 1K0 or emailed to expositor@manitoulin.ca. The Expositor will also be hosting the Harvest Glory Day’s Contest, with support from Beacon Images. Island communities are challenged to decorate their community to best represent an autumn harvest theme. Judging will be based on a combination of business, homeowner, institutions (churchs, community halls), and municipality/First Nation participation. Judging will take place the week following Thanksgiving. The prize will be a large and permanent sign that the winning community can post with pride to acknowledge its work together in winning this year’s contest. For a full list of rules and guidelines, contact The Manitoulin Expositor at 705-368-2744 or email your interest to expositor@manitoulin.ca. For more details, see the ad on Page 5A of this paper. Though the above are the events listed to date, various Island groups, communities, businesses and restaurants will also be hosting events throughout TOM and foodies are encouraged to look for TOM signage directing individuals to events. A full listing of events are listed in this year’s TOM passport, available at The Expositor office, The Anchor Inn Hotel, The Up Top Sports Shop, Timberlane Lodge, Maja’s, Gordon’s Park, the Manitoulin Welcome Centre, Island Spring Cottages, the South Baymouth ferry terminal, Uncle Steve’s Park and Cabins, Jake’s Home Centre, the Meldrum Bay Inn, Green Acres Tent and Trailer Park, Manitowaning Mill, 100.7 The Island and Three Cows and a Cone. Also check the TOM website for updated information at www.tasteofmanitoulin.ca. Robin Burridge