Welcome to the 2013 Waterfront Festival.
I am very pleased on behalf of the Rotary Club of Cobourg to welcome you to one of the premier arts and crafts festivals in Canada.
The Rotary Club of Cobourg is proud to have hosted the Arts and Crafts festival for over 23 years and it is amazing how it has grown and the numbers that are attracted here to Cobourg every year. I was personally involved with the very first festival sponsored by the Town of Cobourg and held in celebration of the town's sesquicentennial in 1987. The set up was quite different with snow-fencing dividing the booths and entertainment set up at both ends of the site. This festival has come a long way!
Our club is very proud of the Arts and Crafts festival and the fact it is driven by volunteers from the organization, from set up to the take down. Every year our members and their family members give an incredible amount of time and effort to make this weekend event happen for our community. They do this because they know the funds that we will raise will be utilized to support local community initiatives as well as our international commitments.
Stopping by the variety of tents, you will find a vast variety of products, clothing, jewelry and home décor. It is certainly a one-stop shopping experience. You can also enjoy our Bistro Café and for the youngsters who join you, we have the thrill of the midway along the pier.
When you support the festival through your admission, you are aiding our Club in supporting projects such as the Cobourg Community Centre, Northumberland Hill's Hospital, Rotary Waterfront Park, our local library, individuals with special needs, scholarships, a variety of community agencies, Northumberland United Way's Back Packs for Kids program, and the list goes on and on. Internationally, Rotary has been acknowledged as a leader for their determination to eradicate polio, a crippling disease that we are "this close" to ending around the world. We also aid in ensuring fresh water to villages, building new schools, promoting literacy, and are working towards eliminating poverty.
My focus for my year was "Caring for our Community" and I am proud of the support the Rotary Club of Cobourg provides every year through the funds raised at the Waterfront Festival, Ribfest and Sportsman Night. The dollars and the hours we give have an impact both locally and around the world.
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Cobourg, enjoy the weekend and thank you for stopping by to enjoy a great shopping experience at the Arts and Crafts Festival and all that Cobourg has to offer this weekend.
Lynda Kay, President, Rotary Club of Cobourg 2013-2014
