Annual city festival aims to cherr-ish community

The 15th annual Cherry Festival has returned to Kitchener to cherr-ish community.

The annual Cherry Festival returned to Kitchener for its 15th year on Saturday.

The festival takes place in Cherry Park, tucked away in the middle of a neighbourhood.

“What better way to celebrate? We have a Cherry Park then to have a Cherry Festival,” said Shirley Gosselin, the past-president of the Cherry Park Neighbourhood Association.

The festival one of the events the association runs every year. They’ve been doing so since 2008, only skipping two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We emphasize a lot about volunteering and giving back to the community,” said Gosselin. “So, we have smaller events, which are just for our neighborhood but we wanted one event that was for the whole city.”

Gosselin said the festival usually brings around 4,000 to 5,000 people to the park to enjoy cherry-flavoured desserts and other food for attendees to purchase and enjoy.

The event also had various entertainment including live music, performances by local children’s musician Erick Traplin, inflatable attractions, a swing carousel, a pie-eating contest, a vintage car show and a centre stage for wrestling.

“We like to say we have something for all ages,” said Gosselin. “A lot of people bring their own picnic and just enjoy the music so they’re not spending any money and other people come and buy their lunch and go to the vendors. So, there [are different] ways to spend your whole day here.”

Spencer Merino is a local of the area who has been to Cherry Park but never to the festival.

“They put up signs around the city, and I heard about it,” he said. “Me and my sisters seemed interested in it, so we invited our friends out to come and watch.”

Merino said these kinds of events are important.

“I think taking part in community things is fun,” he said. “Making friends in the community and showing that we are a community, all that is good and it’s a good place to meet people in your city.”

Gosselin said knowing your community and neighbours can help foster healthy relationships.

“I want to live in a neighborhood where people know one another and watch over one another’s places,” she said. “I see people come every year, and they stop and they’re talking and they haven’t seen each other since the previous year… They look forward to it.”

Gosselin explained how the festival is run by volunteers who are passionate about togetherness.

“We have over 100 volunteers, helping make this event run as smoothly as we can,” she said. “We like to create these festivals and things that the neighbors do that makes our city a welcoming place that people want to live in. You don’t want a place where people just go into their house and lock their doors. Come on out, enjoy the park.”