FERGUS TARTAN DAY APRIL 12, 2015 IS COMING

Meet at the newly renovated Fergus Public Library main entrance at 2 pm April 15 for our first walking tour of the season. Admission is free. Several pipe bands will be marching along St. Andrews Street and playing in the local pubs and restaurants throughout the day. Fun for the whole family. Elora Fergus Tourism is once again sponsoring many free tours of Fergus and Elora. They are scheduled as follows: * APRIL 12 AT 2 PM FERGUS TARTAN DAY TOUR, MEET AT LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE * MAY 31 AT 1 PM ELORA YOUTH PLANET EVENT TOUR, MEET AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE * JUNE 20 AT 11 AM FERGUS DOORS OPEN TOUR, MEET AT LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE * JUNE 20 AT 2 PM ELORA DOORS OPEN TOUR, MEET AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE * AUGUST 7 AT 11 AM & 2 PM FERGUS SCOTTISH GAMES TOURS, MEET AT LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE * AUGUST 8 AT 11 AM FERGUS SCOTTISH GAMES TOUR, MEET AT LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE * SEPTEMBER 26 AT 11 AM FERGUS CULTURAL DAYS TOUR, MEET AT LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE * SEPTEMBER 27 AT 2 PM ELORA CULTURAL DAYS TOUR, MEET AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE * OCTOBER 17 AT 7 PM ELORA MONSTER MONTH LANTERN TOUR, MEET AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE * OCTOBER 24 AT 7:30 PM ELORA MONSTER MARCH TOUR, MEET AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE * OCTOBER 30 AT 7 PM FERGUS LANTERN TOUR, MEET AT LIBRARY MAIN ENTRANCE * Arrange your own private group tour - contacts 5198466685 or oldervoices@gmail.com

YOUTH PLANET EVENT AND TOUR ON JUNE 1st

Older Voices will once again be participating in this year's Youth Planet Extravaganza Event and offering a free historical walking tour. The event begins at 11 am Sunday, June 1st on the Elora Green located at the intersection of Mill and Metcalfe Streets. The program will include youth performances in dance, music and musical theatre. It will also feature a fashion show of handmade costumes and a local film in the Gorge Cinema next door. Admission is by donation with all proceeds going to the Kathie Hammond Literacy Fund. The Older Voices historical tour will be a one hour walk beginning at the Tourism Office (9 Mill Street E.) at 1 pm. Come and enjoy stories, songs and poems of 19th century Elora.

UPCOMING 2014 EVENTS AND WALKS

As noted in our last post, OLDER VOICES will be presenting a Murder Mystery Caberet at 8 o'clock pm on January 25 at the Fergus Rugby Club Hall. This is a fundraiser for NeighbourWoods who require massive support in attending to trees that were damaged by the recent ice storm. Tickets are $35. per person and can be purchased at ScotiaBank in Fergus or at the NeighbourWoods office in Elora. Admission includes entertainment, drinks and finger food. 1920s formal dress is optional. The following is list of our events to date for 2014. Remember...bookings for community groups, family reunions or private parties are always welcome. JANUARY 25, 8 PM MYSTERY CABERET AT FERGUS RUGBY CLUB HALL APRIL 13, 2 PM TARTAN DAY HISTORICAL WALK AT FERGUS LIBRARY JUNE 1, 11 AM YOUTH TALENT EVENT ON THE ELORA GREEN 1 PM ELORA HISTORICAL WALK AT TOURISM OFFICE JUNE 21, 11 AM DOORS OPEN HISTORICAL WALK AT FERGUS LIBRARY 2 PM DOORS OPEN HISTORICAL WALK AT TOURISM OFFICE AUGUST 8, 11 AM SCOTTISH GAMES HISTORICAL WALK AT FERGUS LIBRARY 2 PM SCOTTISH GAMES HISTORICAL WALK AT FERGUS LIBRARY AUGUST 9, 11 AM SCOTTISH GAMES HISTORICAL WALK AT FERGUS LIBRARY SEPTEMBER 21, ELORA HORSE & HOUND WALKING TOUR (TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED) SEPTEMBER 27, 11 AM FERGUS CULTURAL DAYS EVENT AT FERGUS LIBRARY SEPTEMBER 28, 2 PM ELORA CULTURAL DAYS EVENT ON THE ELORA GREEN OCTOBER 16, 8 PM MONSTER MARCH LANTERN WALK AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE OCTOBER 26, 7 PM MONSTER MONTH LANTERN WALK AT ELORA TOURISM OFFICE OCTOBER 30, 7 PM FERGUS LANTERN WALK AT FERGUS LIBRARY All events listed (with the exception of Mystery Caberet) are FREE! Watch for OLDER VOICES Walks and Events at Wellington County Museum in October.

MURDER MYSTERY CABARET OPENS NEW YEAR

Murder Mystery Caberet Opens the New Year

The Older Voices troupe will begin 2014 with a historically based Murder Mystery Play on Saturday January 25 at 7 p.m. at the Fergus Rugby Club building. The event is a fund-raiser for Neighbourwoods on the Grand,a non-profit group which plants and nurtures trees in Elora and Fergus. The play is set in the 1920s and takes place on a ship called the "Elora" which is sailing from Jamaica to Halifax. On the final evening of the voyage, Captain John Gilkison hosts a cocktail party for special guests and friends from Fergus and Elora. A band plays merrily as the guests interact and announce their plans for the coming year. During the party, Sir George Fergusson is found bleeding from stab wounds just outside the dining room. Chaos follows and accusations begin to fly. The Captain and a guest Constable restore order and the investigation begins.
More details on this event to follow in our next blog in early January. A listing of 2014 walking tour will also be posted.

MUSEUM PERFORMANCE KICKS OFF 2013

See the Older Voices troupe in action at the Wellington County Musem on Sunday, March 3rd at 2:00 p.m. for a performance of "Strong Spirits vs. Temperate Tea". The show features Gary Bryant as Professor Ritchie, David McCormick as Constable Gill, Camille Slack as Ava LeClaire and Al Koop as Joseph Wood. A special guest vocalist will also be on the card. Set in the 1880s, the program will include temperance poems, drinking songs and banjo tunes. Suitable for ages 10 to 100, the performance is free with admission to the musem.

As in past years, Elora Fergus Tourism will be sponsering free outdoor historical walks this season. Here is the schedule to date:

APRIL 14, 2 PM   FERGUS TARTAN TOUR FROM FERGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY
MAY 26, 1 PM   YOUTH PLANET FESTIVAL TOUR FROM ELORA TOURISM CENTRE
JUNE 22, 11 AM   DOORS OPEN WALK FROM FERGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY
JUNE 22, 2 PM    DOORS OPEN WALK FROM ELORA TOURISM CENTRE
JULY 1, 7 PM   FERGUS CANADA DAY PERFORMANCE AT SPORTPLEX PARK
AUGUST 9, 11 AM & 2 PM  FERGUS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL FROM FERGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY
AUGUST 10, 11 AM   FERGUS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL FROM FERGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2 PM   CULTURAL DAYS FESTIVAL FROM ELORA'S NEW GREEN SPACE
OCTOBER  19, 8 PM  MONSTER MARCH LANTERN WALK - ELORA TOURISM CENTRE
OCTOBER 25, 7 PM  ELORA LANTERN WALK FROM ELORA TOURISM CENTRE
OCTOBER 30, 7 PM  FERGUS LANTERN WALK FROM FERGUS PUBLIC LIBRARY  

FEATURED EVENTS IN FERGUS

Mark your calendars for two upcoming Older Voices events in downtown Fergus this autumn:

Saturday October 27th at 8 pm
Join us at Brewhouse on the Grand for our second annual BELSYDE CEMETERY LANTERN TOUR. The cost is $5.00 per person. The memory of Dr. Groves continues to haunt his old mill (current location of the Brewhouse) and the Belsyde Graveyard where he is buried. Over the span of his five decade career, Groves was often accused of  grave robbing - all in the name of the advancement of medical science, of course. The tour begins and ends at the Brewhouse where complimentary goodies will be served to participants at 9 pm. Come in costume or come as you are for a fun night in Ontario's most haunted town.

Saturday November 10th at 1 pm
The book launch of Hugh Templin's novel of early Fergus titled: "The Precious Seed", takes place at the Fergus Library. Templin was the storied editor of the Fergus News Record newspaper in the early and middle decades of the 20th century. Some of his grandchildren have recently joined forces to have his only novel published and launched in his old home town. The setting of Templin's book is the early settlement days in Fergus. OLDER VOICES will be there to portray characters of that period and to highlight some of the momentous events that transpired including The Rebellion of 1837, disruption in the Church of Scotland and attempts to control the pig population in the fledgling village. Join us for an interesting afternoon.

This winter, we will be offering special tours for book clubs in the area. Stay tuned for details in the next blog.