TideFesttorollthroughEastHantsnextsummerELMSDALE–EastHants’first-everhomecomingweekendwilltakeplacenextsummer.TideFest,presentedbytheComeHomeEastHantsAssociation,willhappenJuly14-16,2017attheEastHantsSportsplex.TideFestwillrunfromFridaytoSundayandwillfeatureeventsthataresuretopleasepeopleofallages.Theweekend’smaineventsincludetheEastHantsSportHallofFameevent,aPlay-Onstyleballhockeytournament,potentiallytheWorld’sLargestWasherTossTournamentandconcertsfeaturinglocalandNovaScotiantalent.Asanactivememberofthecommunityonmanylevels,KodyBloishadavisionforaspecialweekendthatwouldbringtheresidentsofEastHantstogetherwhilecelebratingalltheMunicipalityhastooffer.Thismotivatedhimtoformagroupoflike-mindedindividualstolaunchtheComeHomeEastHantsAssociation.“WewantedtocreateaneventthatdrawspastandcurrentresidentsofEastHantstocometogetherandcelebrateourcommunity,”saidBlois,theAssociation’spresident.“Ourgoalistomakethisanannualevent–ahomecomingfestivalsimilartotheRiverfrontJubileeinNewGlasgowortheAppleBlossomweekendintheAnnapolisValley,”saidBlois.ThingsarealreadywellunderwaytoprepareforTideFest.TheAssociation’sboardhasbeenformedandsomefundinghasbeensecured.Theboardiscomprisedofvariouscommunityleaders,localbusinessesandassociations.ProudpartnersofTideFestincludeShootersBar&Grill,EnfieldRFC,HantsNorthMinorBallAssociationandtheEastHantsSportsplex.“Asacentralplaceofgatheringforthecommunity,webelievetheSportsplexisanidealhostforthiseventandwe’rereallylookingforwardtoit,”saidToddWilliams,whoservesasboththeTideFestsecretaryandthepresidentoftheEastHantsArenaAssociation.Althoughthey’renotinvolvedwiththeorganizationsmentionedabove,TideFestco-chairsRodandPamDickieofEnfieldbelievedintheconceptfromdayone.“WhenKodyphonedmeproposingtheidea,Itoldhimthereisonlysomuchthatgetsmeexcited.Butthisconcept,andwhatTideFestcanmeanforEastHants,istrulyexciting,”saidRodDickie,whoalsoservesasvice-presidentoftheComeHomeEastHantsAssociation.“We’reverypleasedtolendahelpinghand.”

Bloiswasquicktomentionthattheeventisbeingcreatedwithafocusonbenefittingthecommunity.AllproceedsfromtheeventwillgotowardssupportingorganizationsinEastHants.A$10,000commitmentperyearforthenextfouryearsfromtheMunicipalityofEastHantshashelpedprovidesomeseedmoneytostartinvestinglocalfortheevent.CCOA,CorridorCommunityOptionsforAdults,hasalreadyfeltthebenefitsofTideFestastheywereapproachedtobuildtheboxesrequiredfortheWasherTossTournament.“RossYoungandtheentiregroupatCCOAdoamazingworkandwe’regladwecanhelpsupportthem,”saidBlois.EventheTideFestnamesupportslocal.“WewantedanamethatwasinclusivetothoseoutsideofEastHantswhomaybeinterestedincoming.Weareknownforhavingtheworld’shighesttides,sothat’swhereitoriginated,”saidBlois.NextstepsfortheAssociationincludeseekingprivatesponsorshipfromlocalstakeholdersandorganizationsinthecommunityandcontinuingtheirplanningphase.Althoughdetailsarestillbeingconfirmed,TideFestalsohopestoincludecrib,cardanddarttournaments,akid’sfairandafarmer’smarket.StaytunedforupcomingannouncementsbylikingTideFest’sofficialFacebookpage:https://www.facebook.com/easthantstidefest/,orcheckouttheirwebsiteathttp://www.tidefest.ca.

-30-Formoreinformation,contact:KristinaShannonTideFestCommunicationsChairTidefestcomms@ehsportsplex.org902-440-6560

Above:TideFestcommitteemembersandvolunteers(fromlefttoright):VernAker,KodyBlois,RodDickie,PamDickie,ToddWilliams,ChloeeSampson,BrettWellsandSashaWells.