The annual Ball’s Falls and Vineland Thanksgiving Festivals took place in the Niagara Region on the weekend of Oct. 6th.
Ball’s Falls
2023 marks the 49th year that the festival has run. The first Thanksgiving Festival was held at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area in 1974 with the intention of raising money to help with conservation efforts and environmental programs that had no funding. This is still the intention of the festival today.
The Festival featured: 150+ craft and artisan vendors; food, craft beer and wine; local farmers’ market produce; and finally live music. Ball’s Falls has been and continues to be an interesting opportunity to support small businesses and see what the community art scene has to offer. For people who don’t have physical, brick and mortar store fronts, craft shows like the one at Ball’s Falls are a good way for online businesses to get the word out about their work.
Heritage tours and demonstrations were run during the Festival. Built in the 19th century, Ball’s Falls was founded as Twenty Mile Creek. By the 1840s, the area became known as Glen Elgin and was one of the area’s busiest industrial towns. The village included a barrel maker, a blacksmith and two lime kilns, as well as a general store and several houses. Only the gristmill, lime kiln and the Ball homestead survived and on the weekend of Thanksgiving, tours were given of the preserved buildings.
Vineland ARTFest
Since 1922, the Vineland ARTFest has been the biggest fundraising event for Twenty Valley Public School. This Thanksgiving weekend, ARTFest opened its doors to more than 130 exhibitors. The show had a wide variety of vendors that consisted of fine art, quality crafts, music and food and drink from all around the Niagara Region.
Not only do these craft shows provide artists with the opportunity to sell their items, but they also allow them to network with other artists and form connections in the community. In this way, the Ball’s Falls Thanksgiving Festival and Vineland ARTFest are integral to the art and culture in Niagara and its surrounding areas.