Well, the Meaford Farmer’s Market has kicked off for this Friday as we write, so once we’ve filed this report, we might just mosey on down. It’s a special market day, as the event is part of the kick off to Canada Day weekend celebrations. There’ll be live music and, taking a page from the past, surrey rides through town. And of course, there’s all the goodies you can find every week, from organic meats and vegetables and herbs to baked treats and more – with many vendors offering tasty samples to entice you to buy. This year, chef Micheline Zammit, who works at Cobble Beach Golf Club, prepares free sample dishes featuring products she’s found at the market – try her creations, and pick up the ingredients at the vendors’ booths.

Beyond food, you’ll also find crafts and more. And don’t forget to get your duck race tickets (more below).

With your appetite taken care of, plan for a busy weekend. Here’s the schedule of events for Saturday and Sunday (you can rest up Monday.)

Saturday

8am-11am Meaford Hall
John McKay home product trade show

9am-11am Market square
MFRC pancake breakfast

9am-9:30am Market square near hall
Soap Box Derby registration

10am – Collingwood St to Bayfield St
Soap Box Derby race

10am – Downtown Meaford
BIA sidewalk sale
GBSS Idols & MCS buskers on the street

10am-4pm Meaford Foodland
Meaford Duck Race kick off BBQ

2pm- Sykes St bridge to Bridge St
Meaford Duck Race

11am&3pm Meaford Museum
Historical walking tour of downtown

noon-4pm – Nelson St at Meaford Hall
BIA surrey rides

noon-4pm – Meaford Hall
BIA scavenger hunt – pick up list

noon-4pm – Meaford Harbour
Sail Georgian Bay introduction to sailing

Sunday

9am-10am Eggcitement Bistro
Motorcycle Rally meet for breakfast
10am- Motorcycle Rally – ride starts

9am-4pm Bayfield Street
Golden Town Cruisers classic car show

10am-4pm Bayfield Street
Net Shed Book Depot open
Meaford Museum open

11:45am Meaford Community Centre
Form up for parade

Noon – Collingwood St to Harbour
Canada Day parade

Noon to dusk Harbour pavilion
Rotary Club food & beverages

12:45pm Harbour Entrance
• Singing of “O Canada”
• Mayor’s & Dignitaries’ speeches
• Flag Raising Ceremony – Anthem by Mike Weir & Sylvie
• Goldenaires Canadian Folk Song Medley by Bert Hood

1pm Rotary Pavilion at harbour
Birthday cake for 1000 – prepared & served by Canada Catering

Noon to 4pm Meaford Harbour
Family Fun Festival
• Canadian Coast Guard
• Meaford Fire Department
• Kid’s activities & games
• Sail Georgian Bay introduction to sailing
• OPP boat & K-9 unit
• Heritage Meaford display
• Beautiful Joe Heritage Society display
• Meaford Library display & activities
• Remote control car & truck display
• Skateboard demonstrations

2pm-9pm Meaford Harbour
Live entertainment
• Honeyhammers
• Bored of Education
• Vickie Van Dyke & Friends

2pm Meaford Museum
Historical walking tour of downtown

Dusk – Meaford Harbour
Meaford Kinsmen Club Fireworks

Last week, we got a chance to browse some interesting gift ideas (and nosh on some delicious snacks) as the Meaford and District Chamber of Commerce held an After Five in conjunction with the opening of the Unique Boutique. This, well, unique fundraiser for the Meaford Hall Arts and Culture Foundation gives you the chance to snag a truly unique gift for that special someone – or to treat yourself – with more than 125 items on auction, including an exhilarating flight over the southern Georgian Bay region in an antique biplane, a private ski lesson, gift certificates to high end local restaurants, nine holes of golf at Meaford Golf Club and a “Winter Romance” gift package

Here’s how it works. Drop into Meaford Hall any day between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to take in the beautifully decorated galleries and discover what’s on auction. Place your silent bid for the items that catch your eye, and then attend the jazz performance by Juno-nominated vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow on Saturday, December 3. At the intermission, it’s time to check out the bids and make sure you get that must-have item.

To get you started, have a look at the items here. But with many of the items on view in the galleries, you’ll want to head down to Meaford Hall this week to get a close-up view and get your bids in. To get your tickets for the concert, call Meaford Hall at 519-538-0463 or visit the website.

Well, the snow melted away before Saturday evening, but Meaford’s downtown sparkled with seasonal cheer as the merchants removed the paper hiding their window displays and welcomed all to view their displays, visit their stores, and enjoy some Christmas treats.

(The blogger arrived a little after the initial rush of Santa’s arrival, and the streets had quieted a little, as kids and families gathered round him.)

It’s a winter wonderland out there. The first snow of the season is falling gently on Meaford. Now, according to the forecast, it probably won’t still be here tomorrow, but we can hope for a little of the white stuff to garland Meaford’s downtown window unveiling this weekend.

Meaford will close off three blocks of downtown on Saturday for a pre-Christmas street party, and the shops along Sykes Street will pull off the paper that’s been hiding their holiday displays. The large tree in front of Meaford Hall will be lit, and the townsfolk will gather to visit the shops, enjoy mulled cider and other treats, warm by crackling fires, and enjoy the music of street choirs. And the kids will wait with bated breath as Santa arrives by fire truck to take his place and hear their Christmas wishes.

For more than a quarter of a century, craft lovers have flocked to Meaford during Apple Season to take in the huge assortment of quality handcrafted at the Apple Harvest Craft Show, which kicks off its 28th annual show on Saturday.

In the early 80s, the Chamber of Commerce added a craft show to the Apple Festival, which had been running since 1969. But after a couple of years, the Chamber decided it wasn’t worth the effort to continue managing it. The original organizers, along with Rod and Betty Jane Brebner, disagreed. They decided to take it on themselves.

Bringing some of the previous vendors on board, including Betty Jane, who made silk and dry floral arrangements and wreaths, the first Apple Harvest Craft Show was held in 1984 in the Meaford Arena auditorium. The second year, they moved to the arena floor (the rink), and filled it up about half with booths. It’s grown steadily ever since, and the show is now maxed out at 200 booths, filling the auditorium, the arena, and the Meaford Curling Club, across the street.

The show has about 20 percent turnover each year, which keeps things fresh, says Rod Brebner, who’s still involved with the craft show. “And we’ve become very selective. The committee goes through the applications and photos and picks the best. We try not to have duplication, and everything has to be handcrafted.” The organizers actually monitor that last restriction, and have actually asked people to remove non-handcrafted items.

To Rod, the biggest thing about the craft show is the contribution to the community. Over the years, the Craft Show has put back around $700,000 into Meaford projects, including the breakwall look-out and pavers, other harbour improvements, and a recent $50,000 contribution to the community health centre project. “I think that’s our biggest achievement, that we can contribute so strongly to the community,” says Rob.

Head down this weekend to find hand-thrown pottery, wooden games and toys, photography, candles, quilting, folk art, stained glass, woodworking, knitting and sewing, baking leather work, stuffed animals, painting, spinning and weaving and handmade jewellery, to mention just a few.

She’s been a fixture of Meaford as long as we’ve been here, but it turns out that Grace Lambe (fondly referred to as Grandma Lambe) only took over the business named after her mother-in-law the year before we arrived. And it was only a few years before that that an excess of peaches prompted Grace to whip up a bunch of peach pies. “I didn’t want to waste them,” she told Adrian Brijbassi a few weeks back, “so I made the pies and put them out on a stand and they sold. To think, from that came this business.” To begin with, Grace baked the pies and Mabel oversaw the apple sales, and the business quickly grew. Today the family business serves locals and hungry tourists (busloads, sometimes!) drawn by its wares.

Brijbassi’s story taught me a couple of things about the popular (and oft-visited by us) fruit, vegetable, fresh-baking, and more-stand just down the road.

And this video will give you another “taste” of what’s to offer.

Apple season’s here in the “other Big Apple”. The orchards lining the roads around Meaford that were white with blossoms a few short months ago are now heavy with apples, and the farmers’ markets and fruit stands are displaying their ripe, red wares. We picked up our first half-peck of Jersey Macs the other day to bake up some apple crisp, but there’ll be many more varieties available in the days to come.

Take a country drive around the area, and visit one of these country markets to get your apples (and much more).

Almond’s Fruit Stand
Home baking, jams, birdseed and gifts.
Highway 26 between Lora Bay and Meaford | 519-538-2281

Appletop Farm
Picked organic apples and more.
416476 10th Line, The Blue Mountains 519-599-6177

Barbetta Orchards
On-farm market June through November. Apples, pears, plums, pumpkin squash and more.
Highway 26 just west of Meaford | 519-538-2206

Bay Ridge Orchards Limited
Eight varieties of apples stored in a controlled atmosphere.
7th Line South of Highway 26 | 519-538-1405

Bev Murray Farms
Pick your own apples.
145816 Grey Road 12 west of Meaford | 519-538-3592

Dykstra Farms
Ready picked apples and more.
301 Clark St, Clarksburg | 519-599-9938

The Farmers Pantry
Minutes south of Clarksburg, pick-your-own or ready-picked apples, fresh-grown in season vegetables, baked goods and crafts.
788030 Grey Rd 13, The Blue Mountains | 519-599-3691

Finch Haven Orchards
Apples, fresh pressed cider, non-alcoholic sparkling apple ciders, jams, jellies and preserves, maple syrup, honey, and apple gift boxes.
416241 10th Line, The Blue Mountains | 519-599-7775

Goldsmith Orchards
On-farm market open July to December 9.
Highway 26 between Lora Bay and Thornbury | 519-599-3246

Grandma Lambe’s Fruit Market
Fruits and vegetables, baked goods, honey, maple syrup, gift baskets, candles, and more.
Highway 26 between Lora Bay and Meaford | 519-538-2757

Jones Willow Grove Orchard
496818 Grey Rd 2, The Blue Mountains | 519-599-3668

Oaklane Orchards Ltd
Apples, including pick-your-own.
496445 Grey Rd 2, The Blue Mountains | 519-599-5841

Vail’s Orchards
Cider, apples, jams, maple syrup and fresh produce, September to December Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
 Two locations: Highway 26 west of Meaford and South on Grey Road 7 at west end of Meaford | 519-538-4928

Visited Blue Mountain earlier this week, twice in fact. Canada’s third busiest ski resort is just a 20 minute drive from Meaford Haven, but if you’re an avid skier, you don’t have to worry about the “busy” part. A Blue Mountain 5×7 pass is a great deal and allows you to ski Monday through Friday day and night, and nights on Saturday and Sunday. Head there during the week, and you’ll be surprised at how short the lift lines are – if there are line-ups at all. More often than not, you’ll be skiing right up to the lift.

But back to this week’s visits. Blue Mountain isn’t just about winter. Come summer, it seems like there are even more things to do. Last Friday, the mountain bike got its first real ride of the season with a tough climb up the trails alongside Scenic Caves Road. With few glimpses of the road from the treed trails, you didn’t really have an idea of how far you up you were until you finally emerged right across from the popular Scenic Caves Nature Adventures attraction (more on that tomorrow). Then, thankfully, the course flattened out (for a little while). A few downhills were invariably followed by more climbs, which had me dreading the next descent, until the final ride down to a well deserved lunch in the Village at Blue. (It’s the downhill trails that attract most bikers to the hill – an easy ride up in the gondola followed by an exhilarating descent has something to recommend it over the cross-country climb, except for the bragging rights, of course.)

Back on Monday for more leisurely pursuits. For a few years, Plunge! Aquatic Adventure has been welcoming kids (and the young at heart) year round with its indoor/outdoor pools, indoor water playground, hot tubs, rope swing, dock and slides. Paddle boats and kayaks ply the pond during the summer months. Kids try their hands (and feet) at the climbing wall. Shoppers tour the array of shops in the Village, followed by a drink or a meal in their choice of pubs and restaurants. And this year, the Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster offers new thrills. It’s like a roller coaster ride down the hill – for more than a kilometre – but you control your speed with a brake; if the max 42 kilometre per hour is too fast, slow down and enjoy the views.

But the newest attraction, and one that might just attract the real golfers among us, is the miniature golf currently under construction at the base of the hill. This looks like it’s going to be much more than an ordinary mini-putt, with realistic greens, bunkers, and challenging lies, all set among monolithic blocks in the side of the hill, recalling the ruins of Greek temple or amphitheatre.

Blue Mountain's new mini golf course under construction

Toys aren’t just for kids. Collectors and other adults who want replicas of favourite automobiles or the equipment on the family farm are serious about getting detailed reproductions. In Meaford, they’ve come to the right place.

Back in 1958, Carl Jolley began selling used bikes from the driving shed of the family farm just outside of Meaford. His younger brother, Ralph, took a keen interest in the business, and took over in 1962. He was 14. Four years later he married Joanne Goff, and the same year opened Jolley’s Cycle & Hobby at the corner of Boucher and Sykes Street in town.

Joanne and Ralph Jolley

As the business grew, the couple needed more space for the store, and they built a new shop just west of Meaford. For a few years, they focussed exclusively on bikes, but Ralph had always been intrigued by replica toys, and farm toys in particular. “Farming’s in my blood and always will be,” he says. “I guess this is my way of expressing it.” He started building up the toy inventory once more, and by the late 70s, he’d also started to get serious about collecting. “I discovered some stuff that was discontinued back then, and some things I’d never seen before,” he says. “Actually, my wife said to me, ‘You should keep a couple of those.” He laughs. “Which she regrets to this day.”

Ralph’s excellent (and massive) collection of farm toys is worthy of a museum, and Jolley’s Farm Toys and Diecast now offers an unparalleled selection of replica vehicles and other toys.

When the couple’s son, Shane, took over the bike end of the operation, now called Jolley’s Alternative Wheels, and moved it to Owen Sound, they began to add more to the toy lines. “There were just that many more die-cast toys out there,” says Ralph.

The couple had always sold their collectible replica toys by mail order, and it wasn’t long before they saw the potential to increase this by launching a website. Today, their website sells farm toys and diecast replicas to collectors, parents and grandparents all over the world.

When Toy Farmer magazine profiled Ralph a couple years back, they recounted a time when Carl asked his younger brother if he’d begun to plan for retirement. Then he checked himself. “Even if you retired you’d be doing the same thing as you do now.”

Concluded the magazine: “That, added Ralph with a laugh, is exactly right.”

As for Carl, the brother that started the bike business way back when – he has a toy collection of his own just around the corner. Jolley Riding Toy Museum features more than 400 antique wagons, bikes and riding toys, including an 1868 bicycle known as the Junior Boneshaker.

Head down to Meaford Harbour tomorrow afternoon, and you’ll find yourself drawn by the delicious scents, the sounds of music, and the hustle and bustle by the Rotary Pavilion. Meaford’s Farmers’ Market kicks off its fifth season this week, and will be open to welcome you from 3 to 7 p.m. every Friday through Thanksgiving weekend.

You’ll find locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables, locally raised meat, and freshly baked goods, including treats and beverages you don’t have to wait till you get home to enjoy.

But it’s not only about food. You’ll also find crafts, children’s activities, and music. This year, the opening day musical act is none other than “Bored of Education”, who’ll rock out The Meaford Independent Music Tent. (This group of teachers and students from Meaford’s Georgian Bay Secondary school is a legend in its own lunchtime, a veritable study in musical talent, and in a definite class of its own.)

To learn more about the vendors at the Meaford Farmers’ Market click here.