The big yellow Merville hall is gearing up for the first Wine & Cheese, Chocolate & Beer Festival this Sunday (July 2nd).
In celebration of 150 years of the Canadian confederation, vendors are being lined up and the hall will be welcoming visitors to sit in comfort, listen to jazz music, view artwork and sample innovative food pairings from local sources here in the Comox Valley.
From 1 to 6 p.m. there will be representatives from various vineyards and breweries as well as an in house chef who will conjure up some exciting offerings for the hungry palate. Local farmers and artisans will also be setting up their colourful tents so that you can do all your weekly grocery and gift shopping in one place.
With the help of the community, the worker bee board members are upgrading the hall and grounds and are on the way to creating a heritage tourist site that will recount Merville’s past and encourage, through community demonstration garden plots, sustainable living for the future.
The main hall interior has just received a fresh coat of paint, thanks to the help of Anne Davies who wished to make it a more presentable space for her husband’s recent celebration of life. Other community members have gathered at the 102-year-old church and manse on the site to gleefully strip them out and reroof the buildings with durable metal. These historic buildings will help to give the site a sense of “antiquity” and even the main hall will be celebrating its 65th anniversary next year.
The July 2 Wine & Cheese, Chocolate & Beer festival is the first of its kind in the valley and is sure to become an annual tradition, so set aside some time on Sunday afternoon to attend.
Bring your appetite, a lawn chair and some doubloons to spend on local fare in the country air.
For vendor information, visit the Merville hall website or call Dawn at 250-941-2064.