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Cardinal Woods’ fifth annual Party in the Park to feature Campfire Poets

August 27, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

The Cardinal Woods Circle of Friends Party in the Park returns to Mono College Park for its fifth year on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The event, hosted by the Cardinal Woods Circle of Friends, runs from noon to 5 p.m. at 8 Hawthorne Rd. The park will be closed this year, and tickets are capped at 500.

Admission is $10 per person, with children under two admitted free.

Organizer Velvet Alcorn said reaching the fifth anniversary is a milestone worth marking, pointing to a new addition this year: a Campfire Poets performance.

“It is the fifth annual, and it’s hard to believe,” said Alcorn. “It’s very family oriented, it’s not expensive, and the money goes back into the community.”

Alcorn credited Mono Township and the County of Dufferin for their continued support of the event.

“They’re behind us 100 per cent because we’re promoting the community,” she said.

Alongside the Campfire Poets, this year’s event will feature returning performers Gary Haslip, Irish dancers, a vendor market, pony rides, a petting zoo, bouncy castles, a beer tent, games for adults and children, food trucks, a raffle and a 50/50 draw. The OPP, paramedics and local fire services are also expected to attend.

Alcorn said organizers are considering letting attendees vote this year on which local charity receives a portion of the proceeds. Caledon–Dufferin Victim Services, the primary beneficiary in past years, will continue to receive support regardless of the outcome.

“To me, they’re the unsung heroes out there,” she said.

Alcorn estimated the event has raised more than $3,000 for charity over its five-year history. The party operates as a non-profit, with ticket revenue covering event costs and any surplus carried forward to the following year.

Attendance has grown steadily since the event’s inaugural year during the COVID-19 pandemic, when about 500 people came out. Alcorn said turnout has hovered around 1,000 over the past two years, though last year’s numbers were affected by poor weather.

To mark the fifth anniversary, Alcorn said organizers wanted to offer a more intimate experience this year, which led them to close the park and cap attendance at 500. The addition of the Campfire Poets this year will help to mark the five-year milestone.

Alcorn said the party grew out of a community committee that has organized neighbourhood gatherings in Cardinal Woods since the subdivision was developed in 1989, including street parties and a shared outdoor ice rink. She said the Party in the Park, formerly known as the End of Summer Party, was launched to help residents reconnect after pandemic isolation.

While the event has become larger, Alcorn said its central purpose remains the same as the community committee’s earlier activities dating back to the development of Cardinal Woods in 1989: looking out for neighbours.

“You need to know who your neighbour is, and if they need something, you need to know that they’re there for you, and you’re there for them,” she said.

Alcorn said she hopes people leave the event with a renewed sense of connection to those around them.

“We still got each other,” she said. “Nobody needs to live in each other’s back pocket, but we need to be there to help each other out.”

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