Strawberries, trains and nostalgia were in plentiful supply for the St. Thomas Nostalgia Weekend (Saturday and Sunday June 23 & 24). The CASO Railway Station and the Elgin Country Railway Museum had lots to see and do at both locations.

The St. Thomas Horticultural Society presented their Annual Rose & Flower Show Saturday June 23rd with hundreds of blooms on display in both simple and elaborate arrangements. The show at Monsignor Morrison Catholic School in St. Thomas was themed “Under the Big Top”.

The Elgin Military Museum joins in celebrating the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee with a special exhibit. An open house and opening kicked it off on Saturday (June 23).

Photos by Mark Girdauskas.

The sound of Big Band Swing music sounds especially sweet wafting over a vineyard. That’s what fans of Swing music and dancing enjoyed on Sunday afternoon (June 24) as the Stork Club Museum and Big Band Hall of Fame presented their Summer Swing Festival at Quai du Vin.

The Ladd Quartette brought an evening of music to the St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre, on Friday (June 15th, 2012) in another of STEPAC'S music series in support of programming at the Centre. Kim Ladd and friends (Noel Lesperance on keyboard; Guy Miskelly on guitar; Sandy MacKay on drums) presented a fine line-up of varied music and photographer Mark Girdauskas captured some scenes from the evening.     

Partipants in The Beer Tasting and Hotel Walk on Sunday (June 17th, 2012) were treated to a collage of stories from the Steve Peters St. Thomas Brew History Book (a book that Steve noted has so far been 30 years in the making and has yet to reach the publication stage).

It was the 15th Annual Lion’s Club Father’s Day Car Show at Pinafore Park on Sunday. Even with the weather a bit “iffy”, the park was filled with people enjoying the cars, food music and displays.

Tractors and toys (really big ones) rolled into the Shedden Keystone Complex for the 59th Annual Shedden Tractor Pull on Friday (June 15, 2012).

The Port Stanley Artists’ Guild Annual Show is an eagerly anticipated event of early summer. Representatives of the 50-strong guild are known to consistently bring a fine selection of work to the show, and to present it in a viewer-friendly display in the Royal Canadian Legion in Port Stanley. This proved true again this year at the show which was judged by Josepha Van Den Anker who praised pieces which engaged, intrigued and captivated in different ways.  

Volunteers, community and, of course, rhubarb have been at the heart of the Rosy Rhubarb Festival for two decades. For its twentieth birthday (June 8 - 10, 2012), the festival received sunny skies and activities old and new filled the schedule from opening Friday to closing Sunday afternoon. Friday evening drew a crowd for a  display of community talents from pie baking skills to the Rosy Rhubarb Talent Show. Nearby yard-sales offered their wares throughout the weekend while volunteers and vendors served up the famous rhubarb sauce or pie with ice-cream, entertainment,  and a multitude of other attractions to put visitors in a rosy mood.

Check out a host of photos by Mark Girdauskas from Friday evening at Rosy Rhubarb, and some from Saturday by Relish Elgin.