Cherry Festival blossoms from Cherry Sunday

Cherry Sunday was such a great success last year that it has blossomed into a two-day festival.

The first annual Bruno Cherry Festival will be held Aug. 14-15 at the Prairie Ursuline Centre in Bruno, Sask., on Hwy. 5 about 85 kilometres east of Saskatoon.

“We organized Cherry Sunday last year so the public could tour the dwarf sour cherry demonstration orchard and nursery at the Prairie Ursuline Centre, which at that time was part of the University of Saskatchewan,” said Bruce Hobin of the Agriculture, Food and Horticulture Program in the U of S Extension Division.

“Professor Bob Bors of the Department of Plant Sciences is conducting some of his dwarf sour cherry research at the Centre – so we thought we’d invite people out to look at the research and serve some cherry sundaes, and also sell a few cherry pies and tarts. We expected perhaps 200 people, but 400 people turned up! We ran out of the cherry sundaes, and the pies and tarts we’d made. It was amazing! People came as far away as Swift Current and all around the province just to see the research. It was a great day.”

This year, the festival is organized by the newly formed Carlton Trail Agricultural Society, which includes communities within a 50-mile radius of Bruno.

The ag society members have expanded the educational component of the festival to include a mini-trade show, and discussions about opportunities in the Saskatchewan fruit industry growing cherries and other fruits, food processing and starting a business, Hobin said. As well, there will be tours of the demonstration orchard, which features sour cherries, blue honeysuckles, strawberries, saskatoons, gooseberries and other fruits.

Presenters for the sessions will come from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization, the Sagehill Development Corp., and the fruit industry. And Bob Bors plans to launch his long-anticipated book entitled Dwarf Sour Cherries: A Guide for Commercial Production, Hobin said.

“That’s the educational component of the weekend. The festival component includes food, fun and games for children and adults! We’re going to paint the town red – cherry red!” Hobin said. “One of the events is a cherry pit spitting contest, and also a celebrity cherry pit spit-off, with the Mayor of Bruno challenging the mayors of the other communities in the district to a Battle of the Mayors.”

The festival will cater to the interests of all ages, says Marilyn Jonas, chair of the Carlton Trail Ag Society.

There will be supervised children’s games and hayrides on both Saturday and Sunday, a craft show, and a family dinner and dance on Saturday night.

“A variety of cherry foods, including homemade pies, cherry sausage and other items, will be available for sale. And a local potter has produced some unique pottery featuring a cherry design. Some of this will be available for sale, and will also be the prize in some featured draws,” Jonas said.

Persons who would like to participate in the trade show or craft fair can phone Festival Manager Wendy Thiel of Bruno at 369-2800.

The festival will be held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the historic St. Bruno Roman Catholic Church. A 10 a.m. mass will be celebrated Aug. 15 by Bishop Albert LeGatt of Saskatoon. Members of the church are also organizing a pancake breakfast, a silent auction and variety show featuring local talent.

“The town of Bruno was established about 1903 and is part of an interesting historic settlement known as St. Peter’s Colony, which was organized by Benedictine monks from Minnesota,” Jonas said. “Fr. Bruno Doerfleur led German-American homesteaders from Minnesota to the colony which comprised 50 townships. The Benedictines founded their monastery, farm and abbey at Muenster -- St. Peter’s – which continues as a religious, cultural and education centre for the district.”

Jonas said the newly formed Carlton Trail Ag Society intends to promote agricultural diversification, especially in horticulture, and support economic development in the district.

“It’s our plan to hold agricultural seminars in the winter because we have this excellent venue in the Prairie Ursuline Centre. It’s the cornerstone of our society. Through it, we will work with the University of Saskatchewan’s Extension Division, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization, as well as other agriculture organizations and businesses to partner in providing agriculture information programming,” Jonas said.

“Currently, the ag society’s mayor event is the Cherry Festival. We hope to build on this event and expand the society’s focus over time. We see events such as the festival as a positive contribution to the community and the surrounding area, as it lends itself to tourism and economic development, as well as agricultural development. With the Centre as our main venue, Bruno is in an ideal location.”

Jonas said a broad spectrum of the community is already involved in the ag society and the Cherry Festival, including the high school students.

“The school principal and the Grade Nine class designed and built a Web site for the festival and the ag society. The Web site is very impressive. You can see it at www3.sk.sympatico.ca/softwa/cherry.”

For more information about the Cherry Festival, see the Web site or contact the festival manager, Wendy Thiel, at (306) 369-2800.