A sweet return to the Caledon Canada Day and Strawberry Festival 

Caledon Agricultural Society pleased to host in person event again

By Zachary Roman

Fluffy pancakes, fresh local strawberries piled high, whipped cream and maple syrup. 

That delicious dish was dug into by many a Caledon resident on July 1 at the Caledon Fairgrounds in Caledon Village.

There, the Caledon Agricultural Society was proud to host its annual Caledon Canada Day and Strawberry Festival event in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Ed Taccone, the president of the Caledon Agricultural Society, was the emcee for the official opening ceremony for the day.

He explained the Agricultural Society has been doing the Strawberry Festival for over 30 years.

“I think people have been locked up for the past few years and they just want to get out and get back to normal,” said Taccone in an interview, noting it was great for the Agricultural Society to be back out as well. “There were some tense moments but we pulled it through, we did virtual stuff… which kept the public up with what we were doing in preparation for getting back to normal.”

Taccone was quick to thank all those who made the July 1 festival a success. “I can't say enough for our volunteers and directors, they're great,” he said.

One such volunteer is David Hansraj, who was happily cooking and flipping pancakes on July 1.

Hansraj explained why he doesn't actually like the word “volunteer.”

“It is my duty,” he said. “I would like to see that the fair and the Strawberry Festival continue… if these things disappear, what do we have left?” Hansraj said he's been volunteering with the Caledon Agricultural Society since 2004 and that he loves doing it. He recalls a time when he and his wife were planning a year-long trip around the world — but they made sure they left on July 2 so they could still come to volunteer at the festival.

Festival-goers enjoyed live music, the famous pancake breakfast, barbequed food, a classic car show, garden tractor pull, vendors, craft show and more as they took in all the Caledon Fairgrounds had to offer on Canada Day.