Ridgefest offers locals and visitors ‘the community feel’
July 13, 2025 at 1:02 PM
It was hard to tell what was hotter: the weather or the deals at the Beachcombers Seniors Centre bazaar.
Richard and Austin Leslie, along with Amber MacDermott scanned the table of the bazaar Saturday as Ridgefest took over downtown Ridgeway. The Ridgeway residents came primarily to find a tasty meal on a hot day, but took a detour to check out the antiques and used items for sale.
Volunteer Ross Gauvreau was offering up a full bag of goodies for $5.
“I like it for the community feel of it,” Richard said, as he finished browsing the items and went on to find the food vendors.
The annual event returned this weekend, taking place Friday and Saturday. Soaring temperatures didn’t keep everyone away, as visitors came to check out the vendors, enjoy some family fun or take in some entertainment.
“It’s really nice to see the community come out,” said John Wills, a cook with the Backroad Barbecue Company, just after chopping up a rack of ribs for a hungry customer.
Wills said the turnout was pretty good on Saturday. Backroad Barbecue Company is based on King Street in Port Colborne, and Wills said there were a lot of locals who came out.
Charlotte (left) and Madelyn Greenwood were all smiles after getting their faces painted at Ridgefest. Credit: Luke Edwards | Fort Erie RadioUp at the top end of the street there was plenty of family friendly fun to be had.
Ridgeway’s Charlotte and Madelyn Greenwood came to Ridgefest with their parents, going straight for the face painting station. Their freshly painted faces beamed with happiness as the family ventured on to see what else the event had to offer.
Ross and Brian Gauvreau volunteered at the bazaar table that raised money for the Beachcombers Seniors Centre. Credit: Luke Edwards | Fort Erie RadioBack at the Beachcombers table, Gauvreau and his brother Brian said business was good. The centre is located right on Ridge Road North and runs the bazaar as a way to raise some money to help fund the wide variety of activities they offer.
“We did very good,” said Brian, as he and Ross began packing things up towards the end of the day.
The event is organized by the Ridgeway BIA. This year it was moved back one weekend to avoid the July 4 weekend.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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