By Denis Gibbons
June 19th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
Peng Vang drove his family down from Guelph on Thursday to let daughters Gabriel, 5, and Arielle, 3,
Peng Vang drove his family down from Guelph on Thursday to let daughters Gabriel, 5, and Arielle, 3, enjoy the playground at Spencer Smith Park. Much to their delight the Sound of Music Festival was opening and the kids spotted the rides in the amusement park right away. So they returned on Friday. A native of Loie, in Thailand, Vang enjoyed the warm temperature, which was only a few degrees below the 30 C recorded in Loie on Friday.
Joyce Cooper
Holly, a 12-year-old Pomeranian, whom Joyce Cooper rescued from an abusive home, shows her appreciation at the Sound of Music Festival Friday.
When Holly first came to previous festivals, she was frightened by the sound of the drums, but she’s used to it now and loves the music. A former ballroom dancer, Cooper was there to see the ballroom dancing performance of Dancescape.
She is originally from Leicester, England, and remembers when Leicester City were finalists to Manchester United in the 1963 Football Association Cup.
Yvonne Miller
When Yvonne Miller moved from picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake to Burlington, it was to get closer to the action. And she found it immediately at her first Sound of Music Festival. She was surprised that Burlington has more parkland and a broader waterfront than her previous home on the other side of Lake Ontario. And she says she doesn’t miss all the wineries.
A native of Warrington, Cheshire, England, she says her favorite bands are Gypsy King, Blood Sweat and Tears and The Beatles.
Durval Pereira
It pays to advertise. That’s the message Durval Pereira brought to the festival Friday. He read about it in his hometown newspaper in Cambridge. A native of the Azores in Portugal, one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations, Pereira used to be on the air playing Portuguese music for radio station CIRV in Toronto.
When the Gazette’s roving reporter informed him about Saturday’s Grand Festival Parade, he said he plans to come back.
Katie Reynolds
Burlington realtor Katie Reynolds has been coming to the festival ever since she grew up on Baldwin Avenue. The festival started in 1980. It was an easy walk down to Spencer Smith Park for her and her dog Doug.
Katie was particularly interested in listening to the music of Matt Dusk and his band. “I remember coming with my children, who are all grown up now. I love bumping into people I haven’t seen for a long time. The festival is such a gift we have. It’s just wonderful.
John and Joan Parker,
John and Joan Parker, who have lived in Burlington their entire lives, just celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in April.
They took in Friday afternoon’s performances of Dancescape and the Matt Dusk band as a fond reminder of the nights they spent dancing at the old Brant Inn, more than half-a-century ago.
Their children follow the band wherever they play. “Burlington is the very best,” Joan said. “There’s not a city around that has the number of parks and free entertainment events.”
