Riverdale Farm Aid fundraiser follows successful Forsythia Festival

Eric Morse –

After days of weather-related uncertainty the Cabbage Gods smiled upon their neighbourhood and the morning of Sunday May 4—the date of this year’s Forsythia Festival—dawned bright and clear (if a little breezy). At 10:30 sharp the traditional parade—with walkers all clad in bright yellow and headed by two classic yellow TPS cruisers bearing 2014 parade marshal Peter Lovering and Forsythia Queen Jen Vanderweerd—stepped off from Riverdale Park and wended its way through Cabbagetown to Wellesley Park.

With two actual and one anticipated election, political talk was all the rage; more serious entertainment was provided by children’s musicians Sunshine and Broccoli and the Perry White Jazz Trio. In the second year that Cabbagetown Residents’ Association has managed the event, sponsorships from local businesses were well up from the previous year; this year there were 29 local sponsors plus 11 raffle prize donors.

Toronto Centre councillor Pam McConnell announced plans for improvements to the Wellesley Park splash pad including a surface mural titled Grandchildren, Birds and Butterflies by the late Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau. The border of the splash pad will also be renovated with more seating and a new bi-level water fountain designed for people and dogs. Construction is to begin in fall 2014.

The Riverdale Farm Stewardship Group is advertising its Farm Aid fundraiser for June 19 from 5 to 10 p.m. with musical performances, food and drink, kids’ entertainment, and silent and live auctions. Proceeds will go toward the creation of a welcome centre for the more than 100,000 visitors a year.

Tickets for Riverdale Farm Aid are now on sale at riverdale-farm.ticketleap.com/riverdale-farm-aid.