Foreword by Doug Draper
This July 1 through July 4 marks the 24th anniversary of the Friendship Festival, a four-day cross-border festival celebrating almost two centuries of friendship and peace between U.S. and Canadian citizens on both sides of our international Niagara border.
Fort Erie/Buffalo Friendship Festival. File photo courtesty of Brad Murphy
And you can’t get much more ‘hands across the border’ – the name of an event organized last year and to take place again this July 4 on the Peace Bridge – than this Friendship Festival organized jointly by residents in Buffalo, New York and Fort Erie, Ontario, highlighting both Canada Day on July 1 and America’s Independence Day on the Fourth of July.
In the formative years of this festival, I was a reporter for a daily newspaper in Niagara, Ontario and asked one of the Fort Erie organizers what was one of the drivers behind it. The person on the other end of the phone said that in many ways, people in the Buffalo and Fort Erie areas feel that they share more in common with each other than they do with people living in communities around, let’s say, Washington, D.C. or Ottawa, Ontario. That continues to remain the case to this day as residents on both sides work on the challenges we mutually face around generating new jobs, and regenerating our economies, communities, transportation systems and ecosystems for a health and prosperity for families, friends and neighbours in the 21st century.
The Friendship Festival is another opportunity each year for residents on both sides of the Niagara River to bond in a celebration of that special binational relationship.
Below, Niagara At Large (which you can visit for more news and commentary at www.niagaraatlarge.com) is posting the Friendship Festivals own outline of events taking place at the festival this year. In the meantime, you can visit www.friendshipfestival.com for more information on this event.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Fort Erie has not lost the Olympic spirit yet! Timberworks Lumberjacks will compete in the Olympics of the Forest, climbing, chopping, sawing and rolling on lumber in the water for 3 shows DAILY! Everywhere you look, LUMBERJACKS! July 1 – 4
Heritage Arts Legacy of Fort Erie presents the second annual Chalk Walk competition along the riverbank at the Friendship Festival on July 1, 2010. The competition is open to artists of all ages and is a themed event. The theme this year is Erie Beach & Ferry Landings along the Niagara River from Point Abino to the Historic Shipyards. The competition begins at 11 am and the judging takes place at 4 pm. Chalk is supplied by the Friendship Festival and cash prizes are awarded. Sign up at www.friendshipfestival.com or 905-871-6454.
Heritage Arts Legacy of Fort Erie also presents Art on the Parkway; Chatauqua; and Artists’ Row.
Mather’s Arch Licensed Patio open all day for your enjoyment – music, beverages
Join us for ‘Songs Collide’, a collaboration of 6 of Niagara’s hardest working singer-songwriters with a stellar backing band. Tickets are $ 5, available in advance or at the gate, Mather’s Arch Patio, Canada Day, 8 pm – 11 pm. www.friendshipfestival.com
See dogs herding ducks by Tee Creek Dog Training Center all day long – July 1st inside the Arches! An entertaining and educational demonstration. Tee Creek instructs herding in all breeds, mixes and ages.
What are Canada Day Celebrations without cake at 1:00 at Mather’s Arch Patio and Fireworks at 10:00 pm? Bring the family sized blanket and pick a great spot along the river to enjoy them!
Carter Family Shows – everybody’s favourite midway – is back to supply family fun to the Friendship Festival from July 1 to 4 with specials running every day! With Pay one Price deals and Advance Tickets on sale NOW, plan to have a family day at the Friendship Festival! Advance Tickets $20 (Save $17.50) At Money Mart, Ridgeway IDA or Festival Office. POP deals, www.friendshipfestival.com
Visit the Green Zone vendors and demonstrators at the Friendship Festival, July 1 – 4. Find out how you can help our environment.
Kids Zone, with FREE daily entertainment, includes Seaway Serpentarium, Captain Mike, Wood Carving, Golden Hammers, Cheeky Monkey’s Play area, Face Painting, Rockettes and much more!
The Festival welcomes Aaron Bell, Ojibway Storyteller back to our demonstration tent. Aaron mesmerizes all ages with his enchanting tales. Enjoy Aaron’s stories on Friday, July 2nd in the Kids Zone, too!
The Friendship Festival is pleased to host Obedience Training by Dave McMahon’s Dog Training Academy on both Friday and Sunday afternoons. Bring your dog and spend some time learning some basics with Dave during these very informative sessions.
Fort Erie Mayor’s Youth Advisory Battle of the Bands 12:30 – 6:30, Friday, July 2 on Mather’s Arch Patio should be a fight to the last note. May your best riff rock!
The Fort George Fife and Drums will lead the troupes into battle during the Reenactment of the War of 1812 complete with cannon and musket fire! The re-enactors actually camp out on the Festival grounds, living in the 1812 lifestyle. They invite you to peek in to their encampment & purchase something from their company store watch weavers and spinners and candle stick makers! Look for them Friday eve & Saturday.
Does your child shine on a stage? Enter the Miss All Canadian Pageant, July 4 – All-Canadian welcomes you to Canada’s biggest & best pageant system open to babies, children & teens for boys and girls!! www.friendshipfestival.com
The Dog Lady and The Friendship Festival present Fort Erie’s Finest Pets Show on July 3, 2010 at Noon. Do you think your cat IS the cats pajamas or your dog is the pick of the litter, perhaps your hamster is the absolute hammiest? If you have a pet that you wish to show off – bring it to the Friendship Festival and let Fort Erie judge! We have several different categories, so teach that old dog a new trick, dress the cat up in a fancy outfit or get that hamster singing the blues! Enter at www.friendshipfestival.com or 905-871-6454.
Niagara Spirit of Youth Powwow: 7th Generation of Peace is joining the Friendship Festival Twenty-ten. Grand Entry, Saturday July 3, Noon. The Powwow continues until Sunday at 6pm. Awnee.
Enjoy cool cars by the Niagara British Car Club, and bring your camera because these beauties look great lined up along the banks of the scenic Niagara. Sunday, July 4.
A Celtic Gathering on July 4th : Pipes and Drums, Scottish, Irish, and Morris Dancers. Heavy games in the field and Celtic music on Mather’s Arch Patio stage. Mass band at 5:00!
Hands Across the Border, an initiative of peace started in 2009, is a handshake across two countries along the world’s longest undefended border. Join us this 4th of July on the Peace Bridge as we wave our flags and celebrate peace and friendship between our nations! 6:30 Mather Arch & Front Park – ID required. Reception following, Mather ‘s Arch Patio.
Playing on Mather’s Arch Patio from 8pm til 11pm on Sunday, July 4 is AdmitOne, a Christian content rock/worship band made up of worship leaders and musicians from numerous churches in Niagara. AdmitOne will be performing music by David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, Hillsong United, Tree63, Third Day and others. Have you ever been to Kingdom Bound, or watched a Hillsong United concert? That’s what AdmitOne has in mind for Friendship Festival 2010.
Niagara At Large 
The Friendship Festival had it’s roots in Black Creek which started the festival in the early 1980s it was called the Canada Day,Peace and Friendship Festival,a tribute to the citizens of Black Creek of American and Canadian roots,Louis Ziff who lived in our ward would be a regular visitor to our events , the seed money came from the Federal government which I applied for , I was the c0-ordinator and got this going, but Louis as head of the Chamber of Commerce got the credit,I still have the 8mm movies of the early days. this is typical of other people taking credit for other peoples hard work and ideas.
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