Ashcroft Council found itself in a happy dilemma the other night when it was asked to pick one - and only one - “top” event by Gold Country Communities Society for their 2013/14 calendar.
I’ve lived in towns that would have considered the first snowfall of the year to be their top event since it drew the most notice.
In recent years, many local communities have found the value in starting up a major event and focussing all of their attention, and a great deal of their money, on it. Gold Country listed their communities and top events gathered so far: Cache Creek - Graffiti Days; Clinton - May Ball; Lillooet - Apricot Festival; Logan Lake - Logan Lake Days; Lytton - River Festival; Area E - Cariboo Trails Combined Driving Event; Area I - Desert Daze; Area J - Deadman Creek Rodeo; and Area M - Garlic Festival. There is nothing listed for Area N, which is the southernmost part of the TNRD.
Ashcroft, however, has two events listed and were asked to choose only one.
I know that several of these communities have more than one big event. Some events, such at Clinton’s 146 year old May Ball (May 18), would top them all in age and respectability. But one assumes there were certain aspects that made the events that were chosen the top contenders.
Ashcroft Council was asked to choose between the Rodeo (June 15-16) and the Wellness Festival (July 19-21). The rodeo is a popular, well-proven annual event which has been held for almost 51 years. The Wellness Festival is the brand new kid on the block that holds great promise, if the enthusiasm behind the planning is any indication. Any community would be thrilled to have to choose between not only those two events, but also the annual Fall Fair, Canada Day and many more. Who says there’s nothing to do in Ashcroft?
Council finally decided to ask Gold Country to put both events in their calendar because Council couldn’t decide which one to go with.
There are a lot of communities out there who could only wish to be in Ashcroft’s shoes.
Wendy Coomber is editor of the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal