Unable to continue the festival for two years, June 4 and 5 marked the comeback of Yarrow Days, now cheering in full force with this year’s theme titled “Feelin’ Groovy” in celebration of small-town living. Many members of Yarrow’s community came together that day, basking in the shared excitement of two dreadfully long missed years and the festival’s 50th anniversary to set the mood right.
The celebration was met with hundreds of attendees dressed in their best 70s outfits, with many jutting out their denim bell-bottoms and floral-printed tie dye shirts to really hit home the “Feelin’ Groovy” theme, accomplished with flying colours and much enthusiasm.
Floats had the opportunity to show off their celebratory pride as the beautiful creations marched down the long strip of road, beginning at Yarrow Elementary and ending at Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church. A variety of volunteers attended the parade, from horses dressed vibrantly with bows in their manes, old-time cars sporting their models in nearly every colour of the rainbow, to marching bands performing their musical talent across the community. And while Yarrow’s talented community paraded through the streets in homebrewed designs, candy was thrown in the air alongside other little trinkets, causing the younger generation to fall onto the cement floor as they searched for fallen pieces.
Siblings Olivia and Ryan Keeping, who performed at the celebration as the brother-sister duo Little Kings Olive Tree, described their experience with Yarrow Days and how the community had shaped over the years.
“We both lived here our whole lives. So this has always been a really important day. It’s just so much fun, you know, the community comes out,” said Olivia Keeping.
“For me growing up, Yarrow Days was always the most exciting day of the year,” said Ryan Keeping. “As a kid there was cotton candy, there was face painting. You see all your friends have water balloon fights. I was wondering if people thought Christmas is so boring because I was like yeah, Yarrow Days is so important.
“I think that this Yarrow Day specifically means a lot for people. It’s the 50th anniversary, as well … we haven’t had this for two years. It’s been tough, you know, in a small town where you have such a strong community. For me, it really just is about small town living and connecting with people.”
After the parade, there was a gathering of people at the Yarrow Market. Food trucks served lemonade and shaved ice, baked goods were sold alongside gourmet chocolate, talented artists came out with authentic jewelry and even custom-made clothing. What impressed the crowd, however, was the spectacular talent that amassed on stage.
Ryan Keeping spoke about their experience watching the performance and what caused it to happen. “The bhangra dancers are kind of the biggest event in Yarrow Days for a lot of people. Terry Sidhu owns the Rainbow Gas Station, and he’s just like the sweetest guy, the nicest guy.
“Everybody goes to that gas station. Unfortunately it’s had a bit of a fire in the past year. But Terry hires these bhangra dancers to come out and Terry will also play the drums as well. I think it’s part of Yarrow because it also shows the diversity in a small town, you know. This is quite unique in a small town way.”
As the 50th anniversary of Yarrow Days came to an end, it was definitely an event that would leave an impact on the town’s memory for years to come. Watching it was an experience that stirred a particular nostalgia for the days occurring before the pandemic, and the same sentiment could be felt in the parade as smiles were seen and cheers were heard for the first time in years.
