B7

MARY-ELLEN SAUNDERS
TELEGRAPH- JOURNAL

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BLACKS HARBOUR - The Labour Day Weekend Festival in Blacks Harbour beginning today is "one last kick at the can before summer is over," says organizer Wayne MacQuarrie.

"It gives kids one last hurrah before they go back to school."

MacQuarrie said the festival gets community members from all over Charlotte County together to celebrate the end of summer and is also a way for Connors Bros. Ltd. to give back to its employees.

MacQuarrie said he has tried to steer the festival back to the way it was when he was a child and the way it was when his parents were children.

"It doesn't cost a lot of money for anybody to do and it's a lot of fun. I think it will draw more people."

Today the festival begins with a village-wide yard sale and a sunrise breakfast at the Silverking Restaurant at 7 a.m. The fairgrounds will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight and the archives will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. People around town can have a look at the military display at the front of the arena, eat a floggy dog, get a temporary tattoo or eat a homemade doughnut cooked fresh in front of them.

Today is the Connors-Impress Day for employees and their families. There will be children's games, face painting and a clown. Employees and families will be fed and be given free entrance to the midway rides from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

MacQuarrie said the highlight of the day is the sardine-packing contest when 10 employees compete to see who can pack the most cans of sardines without making mistakes. The contest will be held from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

"I like to watch those scissors fly," said MacQuarrie. "Edward Scissorhands has got nothing on them."

There will be a Harbour Ride Invitational Show and Shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lawn of the Harbour Tide Inn, a craft fair at the old tennis court beside the arena from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and entertainment in the park with the Dan Cunningham Band.

Today's festivities end with a fireworks display at dusk.

On Sunday the fairgrounds will be open from noon to 12 a.m. and the archives will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be quarter bingo from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. put on by the Charlotte Fundy Kin Club and a ball hockey tournament from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the tennis court beside the arena.

Monday is the last day of the festival, and the parade day. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at the Silverking parking lot and end at the Fundy Arena, where there will be a show and shine for antique cars.

"I told everyone the parade theme would be community involvement," said MacQuarrie.

A horse pull at 1 p.m. Monday will end the weekend.

MacQuarrie said the horse pull is his favourite event. Large horses are hooked up to sleds and compete to see which of them can pull the most weight.

MacQuarrie said in the future he hopes to add more events like the horse pull to the weekend agenda. Next year he would like to add a hotdog-eating contest and a baking competition.