There were exhibitors under the tent as well as outside in the park, and visitors seemed to be taking the time to stop at most displays. Tinkess Photo

MORRISBURG – The 2026 South Dundas Home, Trade and Craft show took place in Earl Baker Park under mostly sunny skies, but there were more than a few people who were just a bit worried as strong winds and heavy rain made their way through the area the night before.

Fortunately, when the sun came up, the tent was still standing and the winds had managed to prevent the ground from becoming overly saturated, allowing the many vendors in attendance to get set up and prepare for the clients they hoped would come.

And come they did, providing a steady stream of traffic throughout the day.

Randy North, Chamber President said he was pleased with how things had turned out.

It’s really good, considering how bad the weather was yesterday and last night,” said North.  “It’s nice to see Mother Nature is on our side, and we’re beginning to have a tremendous turnout, and everybody’s in a good mood.”

The Show was moved from its usual home in the Morrisburg arena, due to the construction on the new entranceway, and the date was moved to the end of May, expecting that the weather would be better for an outdoor event. All indications are that the plan worked.

“We’ll go back to the arena next year, because we don’t want to risk having that one windstorm hit us while we’re setting up for our 35th anniversary next May the 1st, but this is doing real good,” added North. “The food truck seemed to be a big hit. We miss having the Lions, but they didn’t have the equipment we’d need to get in here and prepare food outdoors. We’re getting a lot of, a lot of extra visitors, which is really nice.”

North took a moment to speak about the South Dundas Chamber, and on that front, things are also going well. “We’ve got good, solid board of directors,” said North. “And now we’ve got a lot of things planned out over a year in advance.

We’ve already tentatively booked the arena for next year on Sat., May 1. We have the September 3rd boat cruise tickets coming out shortly, and we’re taking reservations for that, and I think the big highlight will be next January with the VIP breakfast booked for Eric Duncan, Nolan Quinn, and who’s ever the mayor of the township at that time.” The venue is yet to be determined; The Chamber might return to St. James Anglican Church, where the event was held this year, they think they’re going to need a bigger location this year, which is a nice problem to have.

As you walked around the park, it was nice to see so many local businesses which had made the effort to promote themselves as well as South Dundas. The show was almost a complete sellout, and as a result there was a very good selection, everything from local service providers to talented artisans, and a very popular segment, the food vendors. Food always seems to taste better at an outdoor event and with choices like The Potato Queen, Who Cut the Cheese (Grilled Cheese and Chip truck), Amanda’s Country Bakery, and the ever-popular mini donuts, there was no reason to go home hungry.

There was live entertainment throughout the day on the Parks of the St. Lawrence stage, but the only casualty of the blustery weather were the bouncy castles, which for safety reasons could not attend. Being in the park, however, meant that there was plenty of park apparatus to play on.

There’s a lot to be said about the security of being inside, but The South Dundas Chamber made the outdoor option work very well, proving once again that shopping local is a long-term investment worth making.