Hogfest offers lighthearted winter activities

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Richard Turtle

---

EMC Events -Stirling -With a full slate of activities on a wintry weekend, the village celebrated Hogfest 2012 and the arrival of a new season, predicted by Mill Pond Moe and a few other notable rodents today.

"It's a chance to enjoy the outdoors with the whole community," said Hogfest volunteer Dave Potts as he served burgers and hot dogs while toilet bowl races drew cheers nearby. "And the weather's not so bad," he added warming his hands.

Organized by the Stirling and District Lions Club, the weekend Hogfest activities have seen a resurgence in recent years with the involvement of other service clubs and community groups providing venues and activities of their own. And the addition of Stirling's annual pond hockey tournament to the mix in 2012 further boosted crowds. With the help of near freezing temperatures, conditions on the Stirling millpond allowed hockey players and toilet bowl racers to take to the slippery surface with several other events held at other warmer locations.

Among those in town for the weekend were former Stirling residents Rob Ray and Mark Dobson, who were on hand for Saturday's three-on-three showdown. Dobson, currently scouting with the Winnipeg Jets, and Ray, a former Buffalo Sabres player, have thrown their support behind Stirling's Hockeyville bid.

Hogfest Co-Chairs Ruth Potts and Arlene Pollick say the weekend features a series of activities for participants of all ages with an emphasis on community involvement. And last weekend there was plenty to do. Volunteers at various events co-ordinated by the Lions were pleased with the crowds as various other community groups offered places to eat, play and read. Events throughout the village were well attended both indoors and out. And with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, pond hockey competitions saw plenty of challenges both from the opposition and from snowfall with plenty of spectators enjoying the fun through most of the day Saturday.

The festivities kicked off last Thursday evening with a return engagement by Belleville Elvis tribute artist Matt Dowsett who first performed in Stirling a year ago. While his stage career is notably new, Dowsett has already received accolades on both sides of the border, placing first in no fewer than five Elvis competitions including Tweed's inaugural Tribute to Elvis Festival last year.

His appearance in Stirling last year was among his first public performances, he says, and things have taken off from there. The following day he was off to Michigan where he took top spot in competition for his presentation through Elvis' early years, and it was the first of many.

Friday featured the return of the Hilarious Medieval Feast with SFT regulars Debbie Collins and Allan Gillespie serving up the theatrical entertainment with several dubious bar wenches, including the voluptuous Millie Pond, providing further levity as required.

"It's been really good," said Potts of this year's Hogfest as the toilet bowl racers continued to race their Sunday afternoon heats. "I think we've had pretty good crowds at everything."

Toilet Bowl Race sponsor Josh Skinkle of Skinkle Custom Manure Spreading says the lighthearted competition continues to draw both spectator and competitor interest and will almost certainly be a part of next year's plans. "There were a lot of events over the weekend," he says, "and we sort of wrapped things up."

A total of eight teams took part in the final Hogfest event with sets of two teams competing head to head in a series of heats beginning at 1 p.m. And the fact the event is sponsored by a manure spreading company, Skinkle says, adds an appropriate touch of humour. "A lot of people like that," he says.

The Hogfest AOTS Breakfast, hosted Saturday by St. Paul's United Church, was once again a well-attended function as was Sunday morning's Legion Brunch at the local branch. St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church also hosted its popular annual Fish Fry Saturday.

Free activities offered included a story time at the Stirling-Rawdon Public Library Saturday and public skating at the arena Sunday afternoon.

And today (February 2) a groundhog will tell us when spring is supposed to come.







blog comments powered by Disqus