The weather didn’t co-operate with the 13th Mortlach Saskatoon Berry Festival as well as it did with the previous fests.
A cold, windy morning greeted the first visitors there for the pancake breakfast. Some braved the wind and ate at the outdoor tables. Others moved into the hall and enjoyed breakfast without the wind.
Friends gathered on both sites to exchange news that happened in the years since the last berry festival and COVID-19.
Inside the hall, a team of servers cut pies and added ice cream when wanted. Others handled sales of full pies with most pre-ordered.
The weather changed a bit around noon but was still less than desirable.
At the end of the day, the organizers had only 10 pies left with a bit of Saskatoon berry sauce and some snacking berries.
A 30-minute parade came down the main street with children, vintage cars and floats.
The RCMP car leading the parade had to make a sudden stop at one intersection, sending the contingent of bike riders following into a frenzy. No one was hurt.
About 40 vendors lined Rose Street with an assortment of clothes, jewelry, toys, food supplements to recycled Caragana tree wood.
Perhaps the vendor from furthest away was Larry and Bonnie of Kendal, from southeastern Saskatchewan. The couple sold gold leaf decorated writing pens made from Caragana wood.
They also specialize in recycling old wood into pens so that in Larry’s words: “Instead of throwing out grandpa’s old wooden rocker, everybody can have a keepsake pen from it.”
Previous Mortlach Berry Festivals have been in July in the hotter season.
Inside the museum Moose Jaw’s Kelly Sapergia entertained. A former Mortlach High School graduate, Sapergia was on home ground.
A variety of musical genres by the Harrison James Band from Saskatoon from noon to 4 p.m. was moved into the hall.
Activities included a beer garden, wagon rides, face painting and bouncy castles. Doris Huber won the $290 draw in the 50-50.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
