COBDEN — This year’s Taste of the Valley held in Cobden on Saturday, Oct. 15, was one of the “most successful events ever held,” said Whitewater Region Councillor Chris Olmstead at the Dec. 7 Recreation and Culture committee meeting.
By 12:30 p.m., many of the food vendors had sold out, he said.
While attendance has been tracked at about 4,000 people for the 2016 Taste of the Valley, Coun. Olmstead said many of the vendors think closer to 6,000 people attended. He noted while the Scouts at the front gates had counters, there were no counters stationed at the back entrance to the grounds, which many people used.
Erica Rice provided a report to the committee about the event. Reviewing the report, Coun. Olmstead noted the committee tries to work towards a break-even situation and if it’s successful, there would be seed money to start future events. He thanked council for the start-up money for this year’s event.
While there is a “robust committee,” who meet many times throughout the year to ensure the event can be as successful as it is, Coun. Olmstead said, “Joy Curry and Erica (Rice) do a ton of work, not only planning but on the day of the event.”
Coun. Olmstead suggested there needs to be more volunteers to help with clean-up at the end of the day-long event.
Looking to next year’s celebration, Coun. Olmstead noted in the report there is hope of having 150 vendors and it will be a two-day event or extend the one-day event into the evening. The date for next year is Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017.
And while it may be larger next year, he said, “We’d like to add to it without commercializing it. We want to keep the home-town feeling.”
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin, who was working in the Cobden Civitan food booth, said they sold one-third more bacon-on-a-buns than they did last year and the library almost sold out of all the baked goods it had.
“I’ve heard some great comments,” he said. “It was well, well done this year.”
