Hamilton’s Locke Street Festival goes on, rain and shine

This article was originally published in CBC Hamilton, Sept. 8, 2012

When she woke up this morning and saw the downpour, local fair trade retailer Eileen Tallach said she almost cried.

“But look at this now,” said Tallach as she gestures at the passing crowd peering into her shop, Ten Thousand Villages on Locke Street South, with hotdogs in their hands.

People checking out stores with food in their hands is a familiar sight during Locke Street Festival. This annual street event features 247 merchants selling a variety of products and food, ranging from jewellery by Laura Tedesco to cupcakes by Sweetness Bakery.

While food is always an attraction in the festival, Barb Mersereau was there to see her granddaughter playing guitar with the band It’s Science, in the music store Picks and Sticks Music.

“It was her first time performing in the festival with this band,” said Mersereau, beaming about her granddaughter’s musical talents.

The festival stretches from Jackson Street West to Homewood Avenue. Normally, it will take you 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other.

It will take you longer during the Saturday event, especially if you stop by to get a balloon flower bracelet from Bogle The Magic Clown.

As his first Locke Street Festival, Bogle was pleased to see the crowd.

“There are a lot of different people here and I get to interact with them,” said Bogle, standing 7 feet tall in his stilts.

Missed the festival but would still like to experience it? Have a look at the video we captured as we maneuvered our way through the crowd on Locke Street South.