(Posted 10:30 p.m., Oct. 5)
Inaugural Navan Fall Fest a celebration of community spirit
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

A gvroup of kids take part in a tug-of-war during the Navan Fall Fest on Sunday. Fred Sherwin/Photo

When it comes to community spirit, the the east end village of Navan is second to none as evident by the large and enthusiastic turnout for the first ever Navan Fall Fest on Sunday.

More than 250 people, many of them under the age of 12, took part in a variety of activities including a tug-of-war, three legged races, sack races, a colouring contest, a chili cook-off and a pumpkin carving contest. There was even an outdoor display competition that was won by Bonnie Edwards and family.

There were 16 entries in the pumpkin carving contest with prizes awarded for the most creative design, best dressed pumpkin and best overall pumpkin.

Lexi Bender, 4, won the junior catergory for Most Creative Pumpkin. Jennifer Calver won the adult division for her Senators logo design. There was a two-way tie for Best Dressed Pumpkin and Phil Leuenberger, 13, won the prize for Best Overall Pumpkin.

The chili cook-off was won by Ray Vetter, who was reluctant to share his recipe with anyone including his wife.

"Are you kidding me," said Juanita Vetter when asked if she was privy to her husband's top secret recipe. "He won't even let me in the kitchen."

Juanita first pitched the idea to organize a community event in the fall to her friend and fellow Navan Women's Institute member Catherine Hyde while they were out walking last spring.

"I just thought that it would be nice to organize something that could bring all the community groups together. So we approached the Lions Club and the Navan Fair Board and the community association and everyone came on board and just worked together and contributed," said Vetter. "The neat thing is that everything has been donated. It's all volunteer run."

For a small donation, members of the public were able to sample some the the entries in the chili contest, purchase a hot dog at the Navan Lions BBQ, or sample some of the baked goods donated by members of the Navan Women's Institute.

The weather cooperated for the most part, and while it was a little cooler than its been the last few weeks, the sun came out for most of the afternoon.

One of the highlights of the Fall Fest was a tug-of-war contest between eight or nine local volunteer firefighters and a group of about 30 kids of all ages who won with relative ease.

The event offered local residents the chance to reconnect with their neighbours following the deaths of three area teenagers in a tragic car accident two weeks ago. While the collective sense of loss will remain for some time, events like the Fall Fest will help with the healing process.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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