Rutabaga Festival welcomes 100 to launch event - Feb. 28, 2019

The revival of the Blyth Rutabaga Festival continues to gain momentum after a special event saw approximately 100 people show up to help shape the future of the event.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the Blyth Community Betterment Committee held the Blyth Rutabaga Festival launch at Blyth Memorial Hall, helping the community look ahead to the event, set for Oct. 5 of this year.

The public event encouraged visitors to share their thoughts and ideas of what the event should look like through brainstorming activities.

Candace Chaffe, a volunteer who helped to gather the suggestions, said the event was a good starting point for the revival.

“We received an incredible amount of ideas for this year’s festival,” she said. “More than we expected.”

Samples of food produced with rutabagas, including cake, cookies and pulled pork sliders with rutabaga coleslaw were available by donation.

Linda Stewart, a volunteer in the kitchen for the event, said that the pulled pork sliders, which were topped with locally-produced Mother Hubbard’s coleslaw were a huge hit.

The evening also featured entertainment as Alex Blair serenaded the crowd with “The Rutabaga Song” in honour of the event.

Visitors could take in trophies, memorabilia and photos of previous festivals that were on display. Attendees could also take a selfie with the festival’s mascot, a giant inflatable rutabaga that has been turning heads at local events and parades since late last year.

For more information, search for the festival on Facebook.