Celebrating the Rich History of the Third Oldest Settlement in Upper Canada
In 1979, Ancaster resident and shop owner Bette Fraser believed that people didn’t know each other well enough in the town, and came up with the idea for Ancaster Heritage Days. With the help of her friend Ann Sloat, Bette began planning a festival where the community could get to know each other and enjoy the sights and sounds of their beautiful town.
That June, the first Ancaster Heritage Days kicked-off, and included the Old Mill race and a grand sidewalk sale.
Within five years, Ancaster Heritage Days had become a tradition and grew in popularity. One of the early highlights was the Heritage Days parade, where curious onlookers would line Wilson Street, marveling in the antique and horse drawn carriages, police paddy wagons, bands and other exciting performers from the area.
Other events during the early years also included downhill bed races, spaghetti eating-contests, and the Heritage Days beauty pageant, where participants anxiously waited to find out who would be the next Heritage Princess.
These were also the early days of the dances, pancake breakfasts, and annual crowd favourites: the strawberry social, antique car show, and sidewalk sale, which draws crowds from young to old to the heart of the town.
Since Bette’s first idea in 1979, Ancaster Heritage Days has become the high point in the annual events calendar in the area, and this year is no different. From the Old Mill Race to the Landmart Fireworks display and everything in between, this five-day event, has something for the entire family.
Come out and celebrate Ancaster Heritage Days!
The Iris Blooms in time for Heritage Days
The purple iris, the new logo of Heritage Days, has special significance to Ancaster. The Wild Iris, chosen by the town council many years ago, is Ancaster’s official flower.
But in 1993, when the town celebrated its bicentennial anniversary, the local horticultural society went on a mission to introduce a newly cultivated flower that Ancaster could call it own.
David Wadell, president of the Ancaster Horticultural Society at the time, took a short road trip to McMillen’s Iris Garden, where he found a young flower breeder looking to introduce a new iris creation. No other flower had the same features. However, the iris was nameless.
Since this flower was going to be original to the community, the Horticultural Society involved the citizens in the naming process, and received hundreds of suggestions.
The tall bearded iris, with ruffled, frosted blue standards, dark blue and violet falls, and a yellow beard took the name, Ancaster Blue Ruffle.
These irises can be seen in abundance at Fieldcote Museum and they come into full bloom, right in time for the Heritage Days celebration
Additional Resources for Ancaster
http://www.historicalhamilton.com
http://www.ancasteronline.ca
Numerous books on Ancaster and its History are available at the Ancaster
Library as well as at Fieldcote Museum