Rutabaga Festival set to return to Blyth this June

BY DENNY SCOTT

The Rutabaga Festival will be returning to Blyth later this year and, alongside centralizing the event at and around the Blyth and District Community Centre, there are few other changes being made.

Chair of the Blyth Community Betterment Group Susan Hubbard, who also runs Blyth’s rutabaga factory at G.L. Hubbard Limited, told The Citizen that the event will be held on June 18 at the community centre and will include a concert featuring local musician Adam Cousins the night before the actual festival.

Hubbard said that most of the events will happen at the community centre, located at 377 Gypsy Lane, or on the surrounding grounds at places like the Blyth Lions Park.

The concert will be an age of majority event, but the rest of the weekend is family focused with events scheduled to entertain people of all ages.

The 2019 event featured bed races and the “Rutabaga Roll” down Gypsy Lane, which will be returning, as well as a cooking contest so locals can show off what they can do with rutabagas. 
Also returning will be the kids’ zone, which was located at the Lions Park in 2019 and will likely be held there again, Hubbard said.

The youth ping pong tournament will also be returning, Hubbard said, as it was a success among students last time, she said.
The event will also feature a community stage which will allow locals to showcase their talents as well as serve as a space for a special educational program called “Orbax and Pepper Do Science,” Hubbard said.
“They’re something else,” she said, adding the duo will be performing three sets.
For adults, a beverage tent will be set up at Lions Park, Hubbard said.

A catered dinner will also be provided, she said, put on by Pine Ridge Barbecue. The take-out-only meal will run between 5-7 p.m. with tickets costing $25 each. They are available by e-mailing blythcommunitybetterment@gmail.com.

Hubbard said the entire weekend will be a good one for local families as the concert, the events on Saturday and the Londesborough Lions Father’s Day Breakfast on Sunday will make sure there’s something to do each day.

There will also be a co-ed baseball tournament held at both the Blyth baseball diamonds at the community centre and at the Walton baseball diamond. Teams can sign up through the e-mail above.

Camping will also be available at the Blyth Campground, which is on the grounds of the community centre, on a first-come, first-served basis Hubbard said. 

The Blyth Community Betterment Group is looking for volunteers to help both with the event and to serve as members of the board, Hubbard said, and those interested can reach out via the e-mail above.

For more information on the festival, look for the event on Facebook.