Festival of flavour coming to Neepawa in July

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Published on Friday, June 30, 2017

By Miranda Leybourne
The Neepawa Banner

Jam Fest will be back next month, giving Neepawa and area jam-makers a chance to put their best jar forward and enjoy some entertainment and local culture as well.

The outdoor festival, put on by ArtsForward, came to fruition a few years after Neepawa’s Lily Festival was cancelled. Rrain Prior of ArtsForward says she and her colleagues really wanted to continue offering the residents of Neepawa a fun event during the month of July.
“It’s a one-day festival,” she explains. “It runs from 1 p.m. to dark, and there are a few main components to this. We have our outdoor stage where there will be music all afternoon and into the evening. We also have an outdoor art show where people will be selling their art and displaying their art, and people showing things that don’t fit into the art gallery.”

The main draw, however, will be the chance to sample delicious jams made by local artisans, who have a chance at winning a 50/50 draw.
“People can submit their homemade jams any time up to noon on July 22,” Prior says, adding that there is no cost to enter. “Basically, people come in and...once they’re all set out, people pay a dollar for a token. They taste all the jams and vote for their favourite.”

The winner, Prior says, will get 50 per cent of the money raised in the contest, with the other 50 per cent going to ArtsForward.
According to Prior, last year’s Jam Fest was a big success. She hopes that the weather cooperates and that people of all ages come out to enjoy the festival again this year. The festival will take place July 22 at ArtsForward in Neepawa.