By Ewa Chwojko-Srawley
Lake Simcoe holds the title of Perch Capital of Canada, so it is only natural that we are celebrating the annual Painted Perch Festival at Jackson’s Point for the 14th time!
It has brought together adults, kids, local businesses, and even town politicians for a fun contest to see who can decorate perch cutouts in the most creative way.
The festival was initiated by Steve Jacobson, Jackson’s Point BIA Chair, and is still going strong with an estimated 500 people attending.
He says, “This year, numbers are down in the adult category but up in the kids category. We have more vendors, and 5 sponsors, one more than last year.”
Festival goers were in for a real treat, with 35 vendors from Georgina and beyond, showcasing everything from eye-catching crafts and mouthwatering homemade cheesecakes to handmade jewelry and delicious local honey! All thanks to the Jackson’s Point BIA teaming up with the Pop-Up Vendor Guy, Phil Greenspoon.
No festival is complete without music. This year, two bands, FlashBack and The Opening Act, lit up the stage with their electrifying performances.
With lively tunes setting the mood, the kids had an even greater time with the games. There were fish-themed games, like mini perch golf or magnetic fishing for the little ones. There was also the ever-popular face painting and jewelry making.
But the focus was, of course, on the decorated cutouts. Over 450 people cast their ballots to find the winners in 7 categories.
Milana Haba and her parents examined all the submissions carefully before casting their votes. Sandra Haba says, “We have been coming to this festival for the past 3 years. It’s not only a great event with so many activities for kids, but it is also wonderful to see so much creativity and talent. It is hard to choose the winners! My daughter won 3rd place last year in the kids 7-11 category, and she has submitted again this year.”
Milana says, “I love to paint and be creative. This year, I painted a monarch butterfly to commemorate my grandma who passed away. When I see a monarch in my garden, I think of her.”
Once again, the number of returning participants was high. Many artists have submitted year after year, such as the Klobucar family – Tvrtko and his children, Alexandra, Konstantin, and Rok. Once again, they snagged wins in several categories, proving that their annual tradition of winning is still going strong.
Also, The Georgina Post won 1st place again in the “Business” category, proving that it is the real big fish in the business pond.
Steve Jacobson and all the volunteers worked their gills off behind the scenes. We’re already counting down the days to next year’s festival—because what better way to celebrate our finned friends than by turning them into artistic masterpieces!
WINNERS:
Adult 3D category: 1st Mary Bye, 2nd Jen & Pete Micek, 3rd Katie Davison.
Adult painted category: 1st Tvrtko Klobucar, 2nd Annalise Bork, 3rd Jacques Bergeron.
Kids 6 and under: 1st Sawyer Small, 2nd Haven Hadon, 3rd Liam Prentice.
Kids 7-11: 1st Konstatin Klobucar, 2nd Octavia Straeche, 3rd Aleksandra Klobucar.
Kids 12-16: 1st Seeanna Sanders Nakoge, 2nd Rok Klobucar 3rd place Lily Young.
Council fish: 1st Councillor Lee Dale, 2nd, Councillor Dale Genge, 3rd Mayor Margaret Quirk.
Business category: 1st the Georgina Post, 2nd Em Convenience, 3rd Skills Training Centre.
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