"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." I've always loved Christmas-time. Truth be told, I love all the lead up to Christmas... the decorating, the visiting, the shopping... and I love the Waterdown Santa Clause Parade. What's great about the Waterdown parade is that it starts at 630pm and every float is decorated with lots of lights to really bring out the festive mood.
I also love that, each float that goes by we seem to say "Oh look there's...." I've mentioned many times in my blog that the longer you live in Waterdown and get to know your neighbours and local business people, you just can't seem to go far without running into someone you know.
For me, after Santa of course, I love to see the pets they bring out for Flamborough Adoptions... all kinds of happy doggies on leash running along the street (usually dressed up in costume, coat or lights) with volunteers from the Shelter.
It's always interesting to see what floats are the same, what ones are new and ones that have alot of creativity to them.
This year the pararde happens Saturday November 26th, beginning at 630pm. Early in the day, people begin putting out their chairs along the parade route to reserve their spot. I'm always impressed by how people respect that and don't move the chairs. People are also very good about making sure that little kids can see everything as well and help to move them up to the front.
This year is going to be fantastic just for the weather alone. Sunny with a daytime high of 12C and possibly a low of 8C and clear skies in the evening... that's my kind of weather!
Don't forget your loonies for the loonie bin, letters for Santa and socks & mitts to give to Helping Hands. Hope to see you there! Merry Christmas.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Best Christmas Home Tour
The Open House began 6 years ago as small event to invite the public to come into the home, see it decorated for Christmas and for people to learn about what Drummond House does. Today the Christmas Home Tour, Bake Sale & Silent Auction has grown into one of the biggest fundraisers Drummond House does. I am honoured to hear that people think the quality of decorating has been compared to the Junior League Home Tour. Each year the event has gotten bigger and bigger. This year it has grown so much that the Bake Sale and Silent Auction along with a few other sale items (Antique Sale & Toonie Sale) have been re-located next door to Drummond House at the Flamborough Baptist Church.
Unlike the Junior League Home Tour, THERE IS NO CHARGE TO VIEW Drummond House. Since it is fully self funded charity, DONATIONS ARE GREATLY ACCEPTED. Visitors are also encouraged to take photos of the decorations and use ideas showcased in their own homes for Christmas Decorating.
You can read more about the Christmas Home Tour, Bake Sale & Silent Auction in the Flamborough Review article... http://www.flamboroughreview.com/community/drummond-house-set-for-tour/
Each year, I get the pleasure to serve up complimentary hot apple cider to visitors as they visit the last room in the house... the kitchen. I hope you will join me Saturday November 19th between 10a-4p at Drummond House.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Best Entertainment
Every town should have a great community theatre, and in Waterdown we have the Village Theatre. It's a great little gem in the heart of the Waterdown Core, right on Dundas Street between Main and Mill... couldn't get more central than that!
They just finished up "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and currently getting ready for their next play "The Mousetrap".
A little about the Villiage Theatre from their website...
| Operating out of the Memorial Hall in the centre of Waterdown, Ontario, Canada for over thirty years, Village Theatre is a community theatre group which produces challenging and entertaining drama, comedy, sometimes even some music! We provide a creative outlet for close to 100 local actors, directors, designers and backstage crew. Many others join simply for the fun and friendship of getting a show on stage. | We're proud of our reputation as the group which does what others wouldn't dare, with memorable productions by playwrights such as Dario Fo, Michel Tremblay and Anouilh; with plays like Top Girls, Equus and Love For Love. We also produce a full-scale children’s play as part of our regular season, giving many children the opportunity to perform. | Recent renovations to Memorial Hall, funded by Village Theatre through various grants, means a classier, more versatile venue that welcomes our audience with style. If you're looking for a social group where you can work hard for no pay, to create magical moments that disappear as soon as they're reached, then you're as crazy as we are - you may as well join us! |
"The Mousetrap"
By Agatha Christie
The Mystery that made History
The Mystery that made History
directed by: Andrew Finnigan
produced by: Joyce Bell
stage manager: Theresa Cooke
Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap is the longest running play of our time. Enter a dark manor house where you'll join a murderer and a group of complete strangers, one of whom has set a trap to catch the murderer. Mousetrap is a chilling play with a surprise twist ending which has been sworn to secrecy by the audience members since 1952!
Showtimes and Dates:
Friday November 18 - 8:00 pm
Saturday November 19 - 8:00 pm
Sunday November 20 - 2:00 pm
Friday November 25 - 8:00 pm
Saturday November 26 - 8:00 pm
Sunday November 27 - 2:00 pm
Friday December 2 - 8:00 pm
Saturday December 3 - 8:00 pm
Ticket Prices:
$20.00 through the Box Office, at the door and when purchased or at Jitterbug Cafe & Catering and Polar Bay Wines ticket outlets. Group rates for ten or more pre-paid: $15.00 per person.
Box Office:
Phone 905-690-7889 or email: vtwboxoffice@gmail.com Village Theatre and the Box Office opens ½ hour before each performance.To learn more about the Village Theatre and it's upcoming events, please visit their website at:
http://www.villagetheatrewaterdown.ca/
Friday, October 28, 2011
Best Holiday Decor Shopping
Yes, Halloween is still 3 days away... but have you seen the stores in the last two weeks??? Right after Thanksgiving most stores started stocking shelves, decorating trees and spaces with CHRISTMAS!!! Alright, I must confess... I usually start thinking about Christmas decorating in the summer. One of my favourite shops in the US is Hobby Lobby (think of a cross between Home Sense and Michaels) and during our summer vacation they have already started selling Christmas merchandise (they stock shelves as of July 1st!!).
I must admit that I have already been to Pier 1 Imports, Canadian Tire, Walmart, Bouclair Home and The Bay to check out their Christmas stuff. But what I really look forward to seeing are the local nurseries and what they come up with. New trends, new themes and great decorating ideas.
Holland Park Galley in Burlington has THE biggest display of Christmas I've seen on this side of the border. Next weekend is their Christmas Open House. Christmas Elves (decorators) are already busy decorating over a dozen different trees with different themes. This place does not disappoint. There just has to be a tree that will appeal to you! The Open House takes place Friday November 4th from 630p - 9p and Saturday November 5th from 630p - 9p. During the Open House hours, Holland Park Garden Gallery will pay the equivalent of the HST on your entire purchase. Nice! To learn more about Holland Park please visit their website.
http://gardengallery.ca/hollandpark/
Two other great places to see Christmas decor ideas in and around Waterdown are Terra Greenhouses (5th Concession and Highway 6) and Connon Nurseries. Terra will have their own Christmas Open House on Saturday November 19th and Sunday November 20th. To view more about Terra and Connons, please visit their websites at:
http://terragreenhouses.com/ and http://www.connon.ca/
Both Terra and Connon's give back to their community. For Christmas, Terra has their Poinsettia Fundraising Program and Connon's partners with local organizations (like my daughters Dance School "Live Dream Dance") and anyone who mentions a participating organization at the cashier, Connon's will donate the equivalent of 10% of the total purchase to the organization. Great decor, great service, great product and great charitable donations... what's not to love about our local nurseries???
May I be the first to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas (and a Happy Halloween! ;-)
I must admit that I have already been to Pier 1 Imports, Canadian Tire, Walmart, Bouclair Home and The Bay to check out their Christmas stuff. But what I really look forward to seeing are the local nurseries and what they come up with. New trends, new themes and great decorating ideas.
Holland Park Galley in Burlington has THE biggest display of Christmas I've seen on this side of the border. Next weekend is their Christmas Open House. Christmas Elves (decorators) are already busy decorating over a dozen different trees with different themes. This place does not disappoint. There just has to be a tree that will appeal to you! The Open House takes place Friday November 4th from 630p - 9p and Saturday November 5th from 630p - 9p. During the Open House hours, Holland Park Garden Gallery will pay the equivalent of the HST on your entire purchase. Nice! To learn more about Holland Park please visit their website.
http://gardengallery.ca/hollandpark/
Two other great places to see Christmas decor ideas in and around Waterdown are Terra Greenhouses (5th Concession and Highway 6) and Connon Nurseries. Terra will have their own Christmas Open House on Saturday November 19th and Sunday November 20th. To view more about Terra and Connons, please visit their websites at:
http://terragreenhouses.com/ and http://www.connon.ca/
Both Terra and Connon's give back to their community. For Christmas, Terra has their Poinsettia Fundraising Program and Connon's partners with local organizations (like my daughters Dance School "Live Dream Dance") and anyone who mentions a participating organization at the cashier, Connon's will donate the equivalent of 10% of the total purchase to the organization. Great decor, great service, great product and great charitable donations... what's not to love about our local nurseries???
May I be the first to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas (and a Happy Halloween! ;-)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Best Girls Night Out
Three or Four years ago I was given a free ticket to attend the Soroptimist International DAF (Dundas/Ancaster/Flamborough) Annual Christmas Auction & Girls Night Out. What a fun event. It is indeed mostly women there, but there are male friends who attend the event as well. I had so much fun, that I make sure that I make time to go now every year.You can arrive as early as 530p to preview all of the items up for auction and you are given a program so you can go through the items and mark your favourites so you know what you'd like to bid on.
There are several different lots depending on the cost of the items given away. There is loonie items, toonie items and there are a few five dollar grand prize items. In each of the lots are a number of items and you bid on the whole lot. You can purchase more than one entry into each lot. You are given a number(s) based on how many chances you buy. Then when everyone has a number they pull the numbers and give away the prizes within the lot. So for a buck you could walk away with a great prize! There are usually about a hundred or so items so with many people bidding on items you might have a 1 in 20 chance of walking away with your item. Pretty good odds!
In addition to winning items through the auction, there are also enough door prizes so that everyone walks away with something.
The meal is great, the ladies are all fabulous and it is a really wonderful way to spend an evening before the craziness of Christmas before you get into December.
The early bird deadline has already passed, and tickets are going quickly. If you and some of your girlfriends are interested in a fun night out while helping local women's charities, I encourage you to get a ticket real soon. Information on getting tickets is on the mini poster at the top left hand corner.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Best Waterfalls
Did you know that Hamilton is the "Waterfall Capital of the World"?? It is... and Waterdown is within the City of Hamilton. The biggest one in Waterdown is the "Great Falls" or is more commonly known as the "Grindstone Falls" located in Smokey Hollow, the dip in the road where Mill Street South turns into Waterdown Road. I took this picture there the other morning...
To view the whole list of Waterfalls within Hamilton, click on the name of the Falls listed below or please visit htttp://www.cityofwaterfalls.ca
The colours around the falls are just beautiful. Autumn is my favourite season and this is one of my favourite places to go to enjoy the beauty of nature. There are all kinds of hiking trails around the falls too, including a path for the Bruce Trail. Other waterfalls in the area are Borer's Falls, Clappison Falls, Hidden Grindstone Falls, and a bunch of other little recognized falls. The biggest in the area is Webster's Falls in Greensville. People drive from all over southern Ontario to see the beauty and majesty of Webster's Falls. A must go destination for anyone who lives in the area.
To view the whole list of Waterfalls within Hamilton, click on the name of the Falls listed below or please visit htttp://www.cityofwaterfalls.ca
Friday, October 7, 2011
Best Fall Fair
Hard to believe, but I grew up in Hamilton and have lived in Waterdown for 9 years now, but last year was the FIRST TIME I ever made it to the Rockton Worlds Fair. I had heard about it each year growing up but never did make it there until last year. So much fun to take our kids on the rides of the midway, check out all of the judged exhibits (school projects, baking, produce, animals etc...)
Here's a little bit of the history of the fair from their webiste http://www.rocktonworldsfair.com/
"The Rockton Agricultural Society has come a long way since the first Beverly Agricultural Society Fair was held in October 1852.
According to the information recorded in " The Pioneers of Beverly ", October 20th was a " Glorious Indian Summer Day ". There were 181 members and prize money paid to the exhibitor's was $194.50. Compare this to today's volunteer membership of 500 and prize money of $80, 000 paid to over 1200 exhibitors.
In 1934 the Beverly Agricultural Society became the North Wentworth Agricultural Society and in 1966 the name was changed to the present Rockton Agricultural Society.
In 1878 Andrew Kernighan commented that the fair should be called the "World's Fair" because all of the world comes to it. The next day local newspapers carried an article about the fair entitled "The World's Fair at Rockton".
The Rockton World's Fair has grown tremendously since 1852. There truly is something for everyone. Each year sees new features added, along with the tried and true that have been a part of this great agricultural show for decades.
Today Thanksgiving weekend hosts an attendance of 100,000 people, bringing Urban and Rural together.
Agriculture is the highlight of the fair and education of agriculture is our objective."
The fair is held each year on Thanksgiving Weekend, and it runs from Friday October 7th to Monday October 10th. This year is the 159th Anniversary! A great place to go with the family if you need walk around to work off that Turkey Dinner! Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Here's a little bit of the history of the fair from their webiste http://www.rocktonworldsfair.com/
"The Rockton Agricultural Society has come a long way since the first Beverly Agricultural Society Fair was held in October 1852.
According to the information recorded in " The Pioneers of Beverly ", October 20th was a " Glorious Indian Summer Day ". There were 181 members and prize money paid to the exhibitor's was $194.50. Compare this to today's volunteer membership of 500 and prize money of $80, 000 paid to over 1200 exhibitors.
In 1934 the Beverly Agricultural Society became the North Wentworth Agricultural Society and in 1966 the name was changed to the present Rockton Agricultural Society.
In 1878 Andrew Kernighan commented that the fair should be called the "World's Fair" because all of the world comes to it. The next day local newspapers carried an article about the fair entitled "The World's Fair at Rockton".
The Rockton World's Fair has grown tremendously since 1852. There truly is something for everyone. Each year sees new features added, along with the tried and true that have been a part of this great agricultural show for decades.
Today Thanksgiving weekend hosts an attendance of 100,000 people, bringing Urban and Rural together.
Agriculture is the highlight of the fair and education of agriculture is our objective."
The fair is held each year on Thanksgiving Weekend, and it runs from Friday October 7th to Monday October 10th. This year is the 159th Anniversary! A great place to go with the family if you need walk around to work off that Turkey Dinner! Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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