People from throughout Greater Sudbury took advantage of the warm weather on Saturday to participate in the second annual Grow Together Festival in Capreol.
Held at the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum and Heritage Centre, participants watched model trains, listened to live music and learned from local vendors.
“This is our little initiative to connect smaller communities with resources and information, and business that have a focus on permaculture and sustainability as well as self-suficiency,” organizer Kimberly Harpe told Sudbury.com.
A partnership between the museum and reThink Green, the festival’s June 7 date, early in garden season, was deliberate, Harpe said, to help give people “education on what steps they can take at their own homes, own apartments, own small yards regardless of what situation they’re in.”
An underlying motivation behind the festival has to do with affordability, she said.
“The cost of living is on the rise, the price of groceries is not going to slow down, so this affords an opportunity for everyone to rely on each other and the resources around them,” she said.
“I think it’s really beautiful to see everyone working together toward a common goal.”
The theme of wellness permeated throughout the festival grounds, with music therapist Kimberly Samuel promoting growth and healing through music, and various artisans espousing the virtues of their chosen crafts.
A crew from Sweet Yarns were seen knitting, while Lea-Ann Williamson and crew from Izzie Pop Fibre & Co. similarly shared their passion for various yarn crafts.
Williamson recently purchased 23 Young St. in Capreol, which used to be an I.D.A. Pharmacy, to house her fledgling business. Originally from Toronto and currently calling The Valley home, she said Capreol’s small-town charm attracted her to the building, which is currently undergoing repairs in advance of an opening as early as September.
Aligning more succinctly with the “grow” theme of Saturday’s event, Coniston Community Garden member Linda Hachez was on hand to give people advice on how to start a community garden.
“We have an awesome crew this year,” she said, adding that the group in Coniston is made up of seniors. She cautioned that community gardens take a lot of work, and a healthy number of volunteer hours.
