New festival is a springtime gift to community

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This article was published 08/05/2025 (220 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spring likes to drag its feet in Manitoba. And just when you think it’s safe to put on a sunhat, you’re pulling a toque on over your ears. But this spring, take a chance and slap on that sunhat anyway, then head out to the first annual Blossom Festival in the Assiniboine Food Forest on May 11.

And since it also happens to be Mother’s Day — put a sunbonnet on mom and bring her too.

The Blossom Festival is a brand new event for the Assiniboine Food Forest (AFFI).

“We’ve just cooked it up this year. Its purpose is to celebrate the flowering of our community orchard,” says Dave Barnes, board chair/general manager at AFFI (assiniboinefoodforest.com).

The Blossom Festival is also an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the life and contributions of a beloved member of the organization who passed away in 2023.

“We are commemorating the orchard in the name of one of our founding members, Madame Keay Dobson-Golletz, who was also not only a founding member of the Food Forest, but was one of my dearest colleagues, teaching at École secondaire Neelin High School in the ‘90s and the 2000s,” Barnes says.

Dobson-Golletz was a French immersion teacher.

“She was, without a doubt, the finest teacher that I ever worked with. So many Brandon people love her memory so dearly. She just made family wherever she went, including her classroom,” he says.

The day itself will be relaxed and informal with seating in the picnic grove.

“We will be serving tea and coffee and dainties — some wonderful home baking,” he says.

“And we are planning some unique and special floral surprises for our visitors.”

Plans for a big day of family fun include live music with acoustic guitarist Paul Madryga as well as other performers. A scavenger hunt is set for the kids. Barnes suggests the best place to park is the Green Spot at 1451 Rosser Ave East or along the roadway to the east. Signage will be up to guide people into the forest on foot.

The Assiniboine Food Forest is a 40-acre property leased from the City of Brandon at 201 17th Street East.

“About a quarter of it is ancient, old growth, deciduous forest, including handsome groves of oak and some magical maples, which produce the finest maple syrup,” says Barnes, who also makes syrup from those same maple trees.

He says AFFI’s mission is threefold.

“Our number one is to conserve habitat. We conserve, regenerate and restore biodiverse ecosystems and habitats,” he says.

He says their second mission is food production in the regenerated ecosystems and that fruit from the community orchard — which is their first attempt to produce food — will never be sold.

“We want to plant food for the future, for humans and animals. The orchard will be used to nourish people,” he says.

“Our third mission stream is education. We maintain a system of over five kilometres of nature trails. I am very busy year round with a peak in May and June with the field trip season, school visits, and many community groups who come to visit and hear me tell stories about nature and its importance.”

The forest should be waking itself up to put on a spring show. Barnes is keeping his fingers crossed.

“This is our first time for the Blossom Festival. We hope to see the flowers on May 11th,” he says.

“I could almost bet that we’ll have all the cherries. Our forest understory is mostly chokecherry, and so we’re hoping to have a large cherry presence and scent on the air in the orchard.

“We have planted every possible fruit that can be productive in southern Manitoba. We have a wide range of flowering shrubs and trees, including apples, apricots, cherries, pears, grapes, plums and saskatoons.”

The Blossom Festival is a springtime gift to the community.

“As with many of the events we host for the community, the Blossom Festival will be free of charge,” he says.

“We will have our information table onsite, and we’ll be welcoming donations and memberships which are $20 per year, which is the way we generate funds to pursue our ecosystem projects.”

The Blossom Festival will also be a lovely way to celebrate mom.

“Bring your mom for a cuppa and a lovely slice of pie, because I’m telling you, we have lined up the bakers that make people drool and we are donating their product,” he says.

“It’s going to be a taste delight!”

And as for those fancy hats and sunbonnets, Dave Barnes says by all means, put them on.

“We would love it if those photo ops happened!”

The Blossom Festival will take place on May 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

at the Assiniboine Food Forest, 201 17th Street East, Brandon.

Go to assiniboinefoodforest.com for links to facebook and instagram.

» wendyjbking@gmail.com