Rotary Club of Shelburne to host Rhythms & Reels at Fiddle Park in August

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Rotary Club of Shelburne will be pressing play next month on a new fundraising event called Rhythms & Reels. 

The weekend-long event will be held on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 at Fiddle Park in Shelburne, featuring a drive-in movie night and a tribute concert to Canadian music legend Gordon Lightfoot. 

The fundraising event will start on a Saturday evening with the drive-in movie night that will include the showing of two feature films; Secret Life of Pets at 7 p.m. and Spiderman: No Way Home at 9 p.m. 

“We feel privileged to be able to bring great entertainment to Shelburne that will please everyone,” said Shelburne Rotary member Bobbi Ferguson. “There's nothing better than a drive-in movie on a beautiful summer night to make great memories with your family.” 

Tickets cost $25 per carload and can be purchased by visiting www.ShelburneRotaryClub.com. 

Bringing the rhythm part to the event will be Leisa Way and her Wayward Wind Band with their concert ‘Early Morning Rain: The Legend of Gordon Lightfoot' on Aug. 13 at 5 p.m.

Leisa Way and the Wayward Wind Band will take concertgoers on a two-hour musical journey through the remarkable life and career of Gordon Lightfoot with fascinating stories, facts and anecdotes that pay homage to the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter. 

“What makes this performance special is the storytelling and the great connection these musicians have to the music, and to their audience,” said show creator Leisa Way. 

“They love the music, they love Gord, and they perform these tunes from the heart. Audiences naturally respond with standing ovations and the best part is hearing the audience sing along to every song.” 

The concert includes hits like ‘Early Morning Rain,' ‘If You Could Read My Mind,' ‘Carefree Highway,' ‘Sundown,' ‘Canadian Railroad Trilogy,' and ‘For Lovin' Me.' ‘Ribbon of Darkness' and ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,' just to name a few. 

Tickets cost $60 per carload or $15 per person for walk-in. Tickets can be purchased online through www.ShelburneRotaryClub.com, in person at Pazazz Clothing Store in Shelburne or by calling 519-278-4578. 

The Shelburne Rotary Club hosted the Heritage Music Festival and Fiddle Contest for over 70 years, with the event being the largest annual fundraiser for the group. Following a poor turnout at the 2022 concert series and uncertainty for future festivals, the local Rotary Club made the decision to shift away from the traditional Heritage Music Festival and instead introduce the new Rhythms & Reels event.

The weekend event is a fundraiser for the many causes supported by the Rotary Club. This year, the event will focus on raising donations to help eliminate food scarcity in the community by supporting the mobile seniors' market, the Shepherd's Cupboard food bank, the Christmas Hamper Program, and breakfast programs at local schools.