The old Village of Thornhill looks back and celebrates its history for the 31st time on Saturday with something for everybody.

The annual Thornhill Village Festival takes over the neighbourhoods around Yonge and Centre on both sides of the Vaughan-Markham divide between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Put on by the Society for the Preservation of Historic Thornhill and its volunteers, this year’s celebration brings back some old favourites, with some added attractions.

“As before, we’re trying to get the community together,” says David Rawcliffe, the festival’s publicity chair.

The festival boasts a KidsTowne, an area for teens, a tearoom, a beer garden and two art shows with artwork available for purchasing.

“We try to get a nice variety of things out there so that people of all different interests will have something.”

The amusements join about 175 craft vendors lining the streets. This means road closures from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Contributing to the events will be the main draw – a parade – closing Yonge from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The parade will snake its way east from Thornhill Presbyterian Church on Centre to Yonge, then south to Arnold Ave. where it ends at Thornhill Public School.

This year’s organizing committee varies in size from 12 to 15, Rawcliffe said, with about 100 volunteers joining them.

“We get a lot of help from the community and young folk,” Rawcliffe added. “The whole thing’s volunteer.”

New this year is a greater use of Thornhill Park, which features a dog show, wagon rides, music, food, softball activities as well as an art exhibition and sale at Armstrong House. A second art show and sale will take place at MacDonald House, located at 121 Centre St.

Rounding out the festival events are the King’s Royal Yorkers re-enacting battle scenes at Elizabeth and Old Jane St. at 1:30 and 2:45 p.m.

Vaughan Today
Friday, September 14, 2007
Page: 12
Byline: Philip Alves