Caledon Day lights up the community with fun for the whole family

June 19, 2025 · 0 Comments

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

If you heard the music, smelled the food, or saw the fireworks light up the sky, chances are, you were at Caledon Day 2025.

Festivities kicked off on June 14, welcoming residents with floods of food and beverage trucks and endless activities.

Walking around, you could grab a brew in the 19+ section from local businesses such as Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Co., Caledon Hills Brewing Co., or Sonnen Hill Brewing. You could also drop your food and drink off with EcoCaledon at the various Eco Stations when you finished your food and drink.

Carolyn Vallejo with Eco Caledon shared their goal through the stations is to divert as much waste away from landfills as possible.

“Instead of just throwing everything in the trash can, they have the opportunity to give their waste to us, let us do the thinking for them,” said Vallejo.

The Touch a Truck Zone was in the food and drink section, complete with Caledon Fire, Dunk Disposal, and more.

Once you’d gone through the food and drink, visitors could check out the more than 100 vendors and their booths.

Many of the vendors were there to share their message with Caledon.

Plant-Based Treaty was there following their meeting with the Town Council this past February.

Council voted to endorse the Plant Based Treaty initiative to improve the health of residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Yarim Hinojosa, a campaigner for the Plant Based Treaty, said they were invited to share their message about the benefits of plants on health and the environment.

Taking a walk through the vendors, residents could also learn more about Caledon’s history and heritage through groups such as Heritage Caledon and the Albion Bolton Historical Society.

Heritage Caledon shared information on designated heritage properties and ghost hamlets in the surrounding area.

Before making your way to the community stage, residents were encouraged to provide feedback with the Caledon East Revitalization Task Force regarding a recently acquired piece of land on Emma and Airport Road.

Community members could provide input on what they would like to see come into the space, whether a public square, public art, seating, or a gazebo.

From 2:30 to 6, the Tim Hortons Community Stage was alive with activity and performances from artists such as Five Points Road, the Cedar Drummers, and Torn Lines.

While enjoying the various musical styles and dances, onlookers could take part in the different activities in the Tim Hortons Community Zone, complete with a climbing wall, inflatables, garden games, and more.

One of these activities was Cow Cuddling with Gir Farms.

Monisha Salwan shared that Gir Farms is a cow sanctuary, and said they decided to bring their animals there to teach people about the benefits of cow cuddling.

“It’s scientifically proven to be very therapeutic and calming,” said Salwan. “This is a little trial so people can come and see how they are and interact with these animals, because we feel as though they’re really misunderstood. They can be super sweet, social, friendly when they’re raised in that environment.”

Moving on from Cow Cuddling, only a short distance away, was a community mural project with Mel Coleman.

Participants were encouraged to follow the accessible paint-by-number style of the painting to create the mural.

Coleman said the style of the mural is based on local ecology.

The mural featured milkweed, black-eyed Susans, daisies, bumblebees, and wheat.

Michelle, a Caledon resident whose child participated in the mural activity, said she decided to bring her family to Caledon Day because “it’s a fun event for the whole family, and the kids always have so much fun coming out every year.”

“It’s great to see all the community members coming out and supporting all the different vendors and local events going on,” said Michelle.

Once done at the mural, kids of all ages could participate in the multiple activities presented by Caledon Fire.

They hosted a public education booth, their Home Safe Home program encouraging people to check their smoke and C02 alarms, and a bouncy house to teach kids about fire escape plans.

Last but not least, was a mini combat station to celebrate Caledon Fire’s 100th anniversary.

The challenge put firefighters from 1925 against firefighters from 2025.

One group of kids would have long black trench coats and buckets to defend against the “fires,” while the other group had up-to-date hose lines and equipment.

“It’s showing the advancements that we’ve undergone in the last 100 years of being a service here, which is pretty cool. The kids get a little wet, but they have a lot of fun doing it,” said Leah Carrier from Caledon Fire.

As shows at the Tim Hortons Community Stage wrapped up, Mayor Annette Groves and Council members kicked off the Main Stage with greetings and the renewal of the Wampum Belt with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

“Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Town of Caledon, but before there was a Caledon or Ontario or Canada, this was home to many First Nations people who lived on and cared for the land, water, plants and animals,” said Mayor Groves during the renewal. “Caledon has an important role to play in honoring, sharing and celebrating Indigenous histories, traditions and cultures. June is National Indigenous Heritage Month, and here in Caledon, I’m proud to say that we are committed to this work every day and every month.”

Ogimaa-Kwe (Chief) Claire Sault joined Council on stage for the renewal of the Wampum Belt and shared some history to allow attendees to understand the symbolism of the commitment.

“The two figures woven into the belt represent the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the darker figure on the left, and the settler folks’ figure on the right. The horizontal line that you see being held by both figures signifies a path of peace and friendship and equal commitment we are making with each other. The white on the Wampum belt indicates the preponderance or equally agreed-upon goodwill between the Mississaugas and the Town of Caledon.”

Following the renewal was the Civic Awards Ceremony, held for the first time on the main stage.

The Civic Awards program honours residents who have significantly impacted the development and advancement of recreational sports, arts, culture, environmental leadership, and community and social services.

The night ended with a bang, a firework show, and a performance from headliner The Strumbellas, where residents could sing and dance at the end of Caledon Day away.