Town marks grand reopening of Fiddle Park with concert series

July 16, 2026 · 0 Comments

Written By JOSHUA DRAKES

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Town of Shelburne held its grand opening celebration for the newly redeveloped Fiddle Park on Sunday, July 12. The ceremony was meant to celebrate the completion of close to $3.7 million in upgrades to Fiddle Park over the last 14 months, and to kick off the first of its concert series.

Attendance was strong, with hundreds eager to see the park’s improvements.

Shelburne Mayor Wade Mills took to the amphitheatre to welcome attendees and commemorate the event.

“Today’s celebration really is something that’s been in the works for years,” he said. “The journey began back in 2021 when council adopted a vision and a set of guiding principles for the future of this park, and invited the community to help shape what it could become through extensive public engagement.”

Mayor Mills continued, “Those conversations ultimately led to the adoption of the Fiddle Park Plan in 2023, and today we have the privilege of seeing that shared vision become a reality. My hope is that generations of residents will make memories here, celebrating milestones, meeting new friends, watching their children go, and simply enjoying time together, because ultimately this park is really about people.”

Following the official reopening and ribbon-cutting, guests were free to explore the park and partake in a variety of family activities.

The park was full of kids eager to try out the new swings, climbers and other entertainment on site. Tents were set up for additional games and face painting.

Food options were also on site, offering refreshments, dinner and dessert, with ice cream a particular favourite of the night, owing to the heat.

Thanks to the weather remaining clear, campfires and marshmallows were also on site to give guests even more sweet treats to enjoy.

As more guests trickled into the amphitheatre, the Bhangra Dancers took to the stage first, bringing their well-known folk dancing style to Fiddle Park as the opening performance for the night.

Following their performance, the Campfire Poets took to the stage to bring their signature style to Shelburne once again. The band complimented the new park’s look, cracked a few jokes, and played a rich set of covers, including hits like Brown Eyed Girl.

Fiddler Aaron Solomon also took the stage, showcasing his talents and adding a lively fiddle performance to the evening’s entertainment lineup.

Fiddle Park was abuzz with activity throughout the opening ceremony and first official concert series. The reception was positive, and guests thoroughly enjoyed the new park.

With only the first concert in a series behind it, Fiddle Park’s grand opening sent one clear message – the park is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever.