Sunday, February 16th, 2025

When Laurie Copeland called on the community to pitch in and help out with the inaugural Creemore Children’s Festival two years ago, she was totally unprepared for how successful the venture would be.

When the day came, Mill Street was teeming with children, all of them eager to take part in the countless activities being hosted by a host of organizations and community members.

“I call this my button soup event,” said Copeland, referring to the old folk story in which a traveller comes to a village with nothing more than a pocket full of buttons and an empty pot. He puts some water and a button in the pot and starts making “button soup,” a tasty treat that would be tastier with just a little bit of onion. One of the villagers then gives up an onion to the cause. The next, a carrot, and on and on, until the traveller and villagers are sharing a communal feast.

So it goes with the Creemore Children’s Festival, which will happen again this year on Saturday, August 3. Copeland puts the word out, the generous and hospitable nature of Creemore kicks in, and next think you know you have hundreds of kids on the street, having the time of their lives.

“It’s all about creating a grassroots, back-to-basics, family festival, and keeping it free of charge,” said Copeland of the original philosophy behind the event, which also strove to give families an opportunity to spend a day together free from the usual high-tech distractions of the modern world.

Details about this year’s installment, which will be bigger and better than the inaugural event, can be found at creemorechildrensfestival.com. This year, all of the festivities will take place on Mill Street (closed from 9 am to 4 pm between the Horticultural Park and the Creemore House of Stitches), including the children’s market and a full slate of children’s entertainers.

Any kids who’d like to take part in the market, or perform in the “Gleemore” talent show, or any businesses or organizations that would like to take part, or anyone at all who’d like to add something to the “button soup” can email info@creemorechildrensfestival.com or call Copeland at 705-466-9998.

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