Patience will be rewarded at Verona Lions Garlic Farmers Market on Saturday

Jeff Green | Sep 02, 2020

Patience has been the key word for the Verona Lions Club this year. First, the Lions Hall had to close, then event after event had to be cancelled.

Some of them, such as the annual ATV run and the annual car show, are key fundraisers that allow the local club to keep their hall and park in good shape for their own and community use, and to donate money to community causes as well.

“We are not in financial trouble at this time, but we don’t have the amount of money we usually have in hand at the end of the summer to keep us afloat in the winter, so we may run into some difficulty later on,” said Doreen Morey, club treasurer and organiser of two events that are a go this month.

The first is the Garlic Festival, which has been rebranded as the Verona Lions Garlic Farmers Market to reflect the variety of produce that is normally available at the market, which is held annually on the Saturday of Labour Day Weekend.

This year, the garlic farmer’s market, with COVID-19 protocols in place, will run from 9am-3pm on Saturday, September 5.

“We will be asking people to be patient as we keep track of how many people are on the site at all times, and we will be asking people to move in one direction and keep a proper distance as they walk through the displays,” said Morey.

The limit is 100 people at a time, excluding organisers and vendors, and visitors will enter through one gate and leave through another. They will also be asked their phone number as they arrive, in order for contact tracing by Public Health, if necessary.

The festival will not be the usual free flowing community event that it normally is, but with so many other events this summer having been cancelled entirely, the Lions are hoping for a good turnout.

“Admission is by donation,” said Morey, “and we are hoping that people will take the opportunity to be generous as we need extra support this year.”

Lions Clubs are not eligible for some of the government support that other organisations can access, because of their unique corporate structure.

This year’s festival features over 20 vendors, less than a normal year but with good variety nonetheless.

Later this month, on September 19th, the second take out only, fish fry of the season will take place at the Lions Hall. More details will be available next week, but early birds can phone 613-372-5431 for information.