A community gathering together
Crowds estimated to be near 800 people, gathered on Main Street in Chesterville for the 2019 Meet Me on Main Street community event. There was plenty of good food, good entertainment and a wonderful opportunity to visit with old and new friends alike. Thompson Goddard photo
There was plenty of excitement throughout the Meet Me on Main Street event in Chesterville when Rockabilly Joe began his performance. He wowed the crowd with his funny comments, juggling skills and unicycling abilities.
Thompson Goddard photo
CHESTERVILLE – The 2019 Meet Me on Main Street in Chesterville was a resounding success as a crowd, estimated to be close to eight hundred people, gathered throughout the sunny summer evening on Chesterville’s Waterfront on July 24. What began as a North Dundas sesquicentennial celebration in 2017, initiated by then Mayor Eric Duncan, has evolved into a North Dundas summer tradition with the Meet Me on Main Street dinners held in Morewood, South Mountain, Hallville, Chesterville and Winchester. These events are hosted by the municipality of North Dundas and provide an opportunity to visit with friends and neighbours while enjoying live entertainment and a bite to eat.
Throughout the evening, people were able to hear and dance to the music of Hillbilly Highway and watch the entertaining performance of Rockabilly Joe who demonstrated juggling and unicycling skills to the enjoyment of the crowd. The SDG County Library was at the event, as were the North Dundas Firefighters, providing information and activities for people of all ages. The lineups at the bouncy castle, provided by Southgate Church in Winchester, were seemingly endless, with coffee, crafts and face painting available courtesy of The Gathering House in Chesterville. If all the visiting and entertainment worked up an appetite, there were several booths where food and refreshments were available for purchase; with two long tables down the centre of the street available for those who wished to sit down to eat while visiting with friends and neighbours. Throughout the evening, people could be seen enjoying summer favourites such as ice-cream, hots dogs or hamburgers with the food line-ups providing another opportunity to have a visit.
The Gathering House, located in the old Fulton Block in Chesterville, was front and centre during Chesterville’s 2019 Meet Me on Main Street evening on July 24. In addition to providing face painting and crafts for youngsters, there was the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee at their booth. From the left, front row, Glen Slater, Christine Van Den Broek, Rev. Brian Barr; back row, Gareth Jones and Uwe Loos.
Thompson Goddard photo
The final Meet Me on Main Street dinner will he held in Winchester tonight, July 31. There will be many fond memories from these events to warm the hearts of residents throughout the coming cool months; increasing the anticipation for another season of these dinners which will celebrate the sense of community in North Dundas in 2020.
Carolyn Thompson Goddard, grew up in Chesterville and attended North Dundas District High School. After completing her BA in Political Science at Carleton University she has worked as a medical secretary and library technician. In 2020 she graduated from Algonquin College with a diploma in Journalism and has been a reporter and column writer for The Chesterville Record for over 10 years.
