Belgrave park group to host weekend-long summer celebration to raise funds for project
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Since 2023, The Belgrave Playground Committee (BPC) has been raising funds for a new, accessible playground for the village, and its latest endeavour is looking to bring the community together in a big way with its upcoming Kick-Off to Summer party.
The three-day fundraising event will take place from June 12-14 at the Belgrave Community Centre (BCC) and includes a number of unique ticketed events.
Committee member Emily Hopf reports that the BPC has just crossed the halfway point of its goal to raise almost $400,000 to construct the new playground. “We’ve had a really good response overall - this community is great for that,” Hopf explained. “There’s been some questions about why we need a new one, but once we shared that we’re looking at this from an accessibility perspective, everybody was on board. We also don’t meet all of the safety requirements anymore - we’ve slowly had to remove pieces, because they’re just not safe anymore.”
The future playground design was chosen following a lot of positive community input. During the committee’s first public event, residents were invited to vote on three proposed playground plans, with the winning design selected directly by the community, which, in Hopf’s opinion, is pretty awesome.
Hopf and the BPC are hoping that their Kick-Off to Summer event will help to push their fundraising efforts a little closer to the finish line, while offering entertainment for visitors of all ages.
Festivities begin Friday evening with a buffet-style roast pork dinner, followed by a “Decades Dance”, which will be held on the ball diamond. Guests are encouraged to dress like it's still their favourite era while DJs play music from across the decades.
Saturday’s activities start with a mimosa breakfast featuring waffles, strawberries, whipped cream and mimosas, followed by a full ‘Kids’ Day’ packed with attractions including bouncy castles, obstacle courses, midway rides, a lawn game tournament, touch-a-truck displays, a dunk tank and jousting activities. Saturday evening will feature a concert by Brussels-area musician Adam Cousins.
Two food trucks - Local Rolla from Goderich and Wild Willie’s from Wingham - will also be on site serving lunch throughout the day on Saturday.
The weekend wraps up Sunday morning with a Caesar breakfast and a live wrestling show beside the arena. “Your classic hangover breakfast, if you will, with Caesars available for purchase,” Hopf quipped.
She told The Citizen that the idea for the event was born out of the committee’s desire to take its fundraising game to the next level. “We were doing a lot of dinners - which are fabulous. But we really needed to put on an event that would get us a big step closer to our goal,” Hopf explained. “We wanted something that would really bring the whole community together, and we thought an event to celebrate summer for a good cause would be something people would enjoy attending.”
The project is a deeply personal one for committee members, many of whom are parents themselves. “Among our committee members, we have 17 children total, so we’re all pretty invested in making this happen,” Hopf pointed out. “We’re a very close-knit, small town in the best way possible. Everybody knows everybody, but in a good way. I would like to add that we could not make this playground possible without the support of Morris-Turnberry and North Huron, the surrounding communities, and a huge shout-out to Cowbell Brewing, our beer sponsor for the weekend,” she said.
Beyond creating a fun destination for local families, the committee believes the new playground will play an important role in encouraging children to stay active. “I think we have trended in a direction where we spend a lot of time occupied by screens, and not outside,” Hopf pointed out. “Having an engaging and accessible playground for children of all ages - and for grandparents or anyone with accessibility needs - I think it will encourage more family gatherings to happen there.”
Those hoping to attend can purchase full weekend passes, individual event tickets, customizable ticket packages or children’s punch passes for activities. Tickets to Belgrave’s Kick-Off to Summer Party can be purchased through the Eventbrite website, from any BPC member, or in-person at a number of local stores, including The Blyth Inn, Midwest Co-op, Stapleton Interiors, The Workshop, Sherry’s Barber Shop, Edgar’s Feed and Seed and McDonald Home Hardware in Brussels.
The BPC is also still looking for volunteers. Hopf estimates that it will take at least 60 people to pull off the big event and get a little bit closer to creating a community gathering place for Belgrave families for generations to come.