Mount Forest Fireworks Festival chairman Ray Tout is hoping for bigger and better things as the community event celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Mayor Mike Broomhead cited the festival’s success in Ottawa recently. As he spoke to Wellington North councillors on March 8, Tout said, “We were up for four awards … We came home with one.” He said the Fireworks Festival was named one of the top 100 festivals in Ontario for the third year in a row.
“There were about 2,000 festivals judged this year. It’s quite an achievement when you see some of the competition you are up against,” said Tout.
While it did not win in any additional categories, the festival was nominated for best community partnership involvement, most innovation sponsorship and best official program.
The Mount Forest Fireworks Festival is slated for July 16 to 18 this year.
Tout said. “It’s our 10th anniversary so we’d like it to be bigger and better … and no rain.” Later, council reviewed the request by the Mount Forest District Chamber of Commerce for a temporary road closure for this year’s event.
The road closure on July 17, includes Highway 6 (Main Street) between Highway 89 and Durham Street. To aid the antique car and bike show as well as local festivities, the request was the street be closed from 7am to 4:30pm
Tout said Birmingham, Wellington and King Streets will remain open, as necessary to the east and west to facilitate fire and ambulance services.
However, he noted the street parking portions of those streets would be used to accommodate expansion of the event’s “ever growing car show.”
Tout said each intersection will have guarded barricades to assist with emergency traffic. He added last year there were 630 cars at the event.
Councillors endorsed the request for the road closure.
