Bay Roberts preps for busy spring and summer

By Mark Squibb

There’ll be no lack of things to do in Bay Roberts this spring and summer, beginning with the Songs, Stages, and Seafood Festival, which kicks off on May 22 and runs until the 26th. The five-day celebration of seafood and music culminates in the NL Fishcake Championship, wherein 10 local chefs will vie for the title of Fishcake Champion.

Then, from June 8-9 the Town will host it’s third annual Tulip Festival. Folks will be invited to visit a number of sites around town to see the 75,000 tulips planted by staff.

Hundreds of young athletes, along with parents and coaches, will descend upon Bay Roberts June 22-23 for the sixth annual Light the Lamp ball hockey tournament, and residents will find no shortage of activities to participate in during the 2024 Klondyke Days celebration, which runs from July 24 – August 5.

Closing out the summer will be perhaps the most anticipated event of the summer, the 2024 NL Summer Games, kicking off on August 10. Hundreds of athletes, coaches, and spectators are anticipated for the eight-day event.

The weekly Concert in The Park series is also running from the middle of July until September, in addition to weekly Toutons and Tunes Walking tours, which run from July until October.

Mayor Walter Yetman has served on council since 2005, and said he’s seen firsthand the work staff and volunteers put in behind the scenes to pull off these events, and events like them.

He’s also seen events grow over the years due to the time and effort invested in them.

“The seafood festival, for example, 11 years ago started off as a very small event, but it grew, and grew, because the volunteers involved worked really hard to make the event better,” said the mayor.

And from planning events to manning booths and setting up tables, and everything in between, Yetman said volunteers are essential to success.

“It’s a tremendous volunteer effort that’s required,” said Yetman. “It all comes down to volunteers. It would not be possible to pull off these events if not for the volunteers.”

He added that volunteers in Bay Roberts are proud of their community and of the events they host, which accounts for why events are so successful.

He also noted the economic spin-off of hosting festivals and tournaments, many of which draw crowds from outside Bay Roberts

“As a mayor, I want to support the community, and these events bring people into the community by the thousands, and they are supporting our local businesses,” said Yetman. “And that’s what’s so important to us as a council.”

And, from sports to seafood, tulips to toutons, and even more, Yetman says there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

“We are a community that offers so much,” said Yetman. “There’s a wide variety of things people can come out to.”