End of the Summer Party being held

Written By Sam Odrowski

A community gathering to cap off the summer, filled with fun activities for the whole family, is returning to Mono this weekend.

The 2nd Annual Cardinal Woods End of the Summer Party in the Park is being held Sept. 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Mono College Park, and organizers say it will be larger than ever.

“Bigger and better is exactly what we're doing,” said the event organizer and Cardinal Woods Social Committee member Velvet Alcorn. “It's our 2nd Annual End of the Summer Party, and it's just nice to get everybody back together again.”

Last year saw about 500 attendees come out, and Alcorn said she's hoping to see that number rise to 750.

“I was surprised at how well it went last year, it was just unbelievable,” said Alcorn. “It was such a perfect day; the weather was perfect. The mayor [John Creelman] couldn't have been happier. He was just so pleased to see the whole community come together. The kids were having fun, the adults were having fun, and everybody was just enjoying each other.”

Tickets are $10 and provide access to pony rides, a petting zoo, a meet and greet with Elsa from Frozen, face painting, live bands, live performances, and multiple bouncy castles. Free popcorn, freezies and cotton candy are also included with a ticket purchase.

“It's a family-oriented event,” said Alcorn. “It's just bringing the family together and giving them activities as a family to work on.”

Tickets can be purchased online at shorturl.at/yLNY1 or by emailing Cardinalwoodssocial@gmail.com and expressing interest.

There will be food trucks on-site for attendees who get hungry.  

Emergency services, such as the local police department, fire department and paramedics, will be set up alongside vendors at the event.  

Any money raised from selling vendor booth spaces and the raffle draw will be donated to Caledon Dufferin Victim Services, a not-for-profit that supports victims of crime, abuse and tragedy. Free one-to-one, confidential assistance is available 24/7 through the organization.

“That's a charity that's near and dear to my heart,” said Alcorn. “I used to volunteer for them for years, and it was one of those things where the reward was knowing that you helped somebody, the hard part was the tragedy that they're going through.”

Going forward, Alcorn said the Cardinal Woods Social Committee is looking to hold the event again next year and hopes to expand it further depending on its success.