HarbourFest Hit All the Right Notes

UPDATED WITH PHOTOS

The 2019 edition of Pugwash HarbourFest Homecoming was truly something to blow your horn about as it played out under perfect skies and growing crowds.

The Homecoming was celebrated Friday evening with a reception and dance at the curling club. Many of them enjoyed the evening so much they were a little late to the early morning activities on Saturday.

Many of the events were offered with no cost for admission, including a four-act concert on the new Harbourfront Centre stage. Roadhawk opened the series in mid-afternoon followed by a suppertime performance from the Abandoned House Band, an eclectic local ensemble who kept surprising the audience with their range.

The beat picked up in the early evening with Jake Duggan and Whiskey Shakes setting a course of solid rock and R&B favourites. That set the stage for the HarbourFest headliners, Derailed 2.0 who carried the load to the fireworks. The photo shows Gene Williams wailing on the sax, just one of many instruments he plays while leading the very popular local group.

Part of the unseen beauty of HarbourFest are the many benefits derived by local organizations. Events scattered throughout the day either drew attention to or provided fundraising for groups like Communities in Bloom, the Pugwash Fire Department, and others. 

There is also a central focus for kids with art and play programs along with the Sinkers Conference (a race with cardboard boats), and the Soap Box Derby which are featured in separate stories in our news coverage.

HarbourFest is planned and managed by an entirely volunteer organization. The group hopes to meet soon to evaluate the 2019 edition and consider options for the future.

The photos below show the cross-harbour golf event where swingers tried to get close the Canada flag on the opposite side of the water, and a young pirate challenging the world to board his pirate ship.

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