Baldur’s Summer Solstice Days continues to thrive
Baldur’s Annual Summer Solstice Days 2025 celebration may be over, but the memories will live on!
A pulled pork supper was served to an eager crowd on Friday night. The food was fantastic, with the number of people ordering supper exceeding all expectations.
With full bellies, fans settled in to catch some top-notch baseball as the Baldur Regals faced off against Clearwater. The bleachers quickly filled, and many spectators brought their comfy lawn chairs.
Seasoned announcer Gordon Jones made a special announcement to the crowd in honour of Baldur’s own Skyler Pearson, who passed away June 14th, 2025, at the age of 26.
“The Baldur Regals would like to take a moment to recognize and remember Skyler Pearson.
“Skyler was the biggest supporter of local sports teams and a friend to so many in the community and area.
“His strength and endless positivity were an inspiration to all. He will be greatly missed.
“I’m sure Sky is up there watching this game and sipping on a Coke while he is cheering them on!
“Please take a moment of silence to honour our friend.”
And then it was game on.
Both teams immediately demonstrated their athletic prowess on the field; however, as in any game, the superior team emerged victorious, with the Baldur Regals winning 11 to 3.
The players on both teams are great sports, and many smiles and laughs were shared.
At the end of the game, the winning 50/50 ticket was drawn with $262 up for grabs.
The lucky winner was Edith Martens! Congratulations Edith!
During the Regals game, there was other excitement going on.
Belgian Hat Bowling was in full swing, with 21 bowlers taking part. Winners were as follows: First – Leon Martens, Brian DeMeuleneire, and Gerald Mangin. Second – Paul Lanouette, Reg Adam, Rylan Adam. Third – Susie Causemaker, Doug Causemaker, Bill Debrower. Fourth – Andy Van Damme, Shawn Van Damme, John Van De Kerckhove.
While baseball and Belgian Hat Bowling were being played, many other things were going on, including sidewalks being vibrantly coloured at the paint party, and the food booth bustling with eager lines of customers.
It was a scene bursting with energy and fun!
When the Regals game ended, the beer gardens for the ‘slightly’ older attendees started to fill, and the extremely popular Corn Hole Tournament began. With 36 teams signed up, the competition was stiff, and in the end, Jaden and Reece Johnson took the gold!
Friday was an absolutely perfect kick-off for a great Saturday!
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, a bustling free pancake breakfast welcomed an eager crowd of hungry visitors. Tables filled rapidly, and vibrant conversations took over the rink, creating an atmosphere alive with laughter and animated chatter. People reconnected effortlessly, exchanging exciting updates about their families and adventures, making the event a true celebration of community.
Laura Wanlin shared her excitement about the impressive turnout of babies at Solstice this year; “It’s so nice to see so many babies”, echoing the sentiments of many other attendees.
A huge shout-out to the breakfast cooks! The light, fluffy pancakes were delicious, and the sausages were the ideal complement. The orange and apple juice, along with the coffee, completed the meal perfectly, energizing everyone for a busy day ahead.
This year’s car show was a raging success with almost 40 cars and trucks, in addition to a variety of bikes from mini bikes to highway cruisers.
So many beauties were in attendance, including a plum coloured 1948 Silver Streak owned by Joan Kemp. Joan was unable to attend due to a prior commitment, so her husband, Keith, brought the car to the show.
Vern Mills from Melita brought down his charming, flat black rat rod. The rat fink airbrushed on the trunk was the perfect touch for this outfitted car, but the interior is where it gets really interesting, with the ceiling completely covered in vintage license plates. This car is truly drivable art.
Louis Boulet and his wife Carol brought their 1967 Dodge Monaco convertible to the show. What some may not remember is that this particular car has deep ties to Baldur, with the former owner of this classic being Rodney Playfair. Louis purchased the car in 2020 and was shocked when people recognized it as Rodney’s old vehicle after picking it up and driving through Baldur on his way home. Louis said: “I am so glad I can bring the car back home,” adding; “I truly love it, it is a pleasure to drive.”
Baldurite Bill Lockhart brought out his 1959 Chevrolet Apache half-ton.
In 2018, Bill started building this truck literally from the ground up, starting with two frame rails on the shop floor. It was ready for the road this year and is a real looker!
Val and Larry MacKay made heads turn as they cruised into town with their 1970 Chevelle SS. Larry found the car on Kijiji three or four years ago and turned it into the beauty it now is.
(These were just a snippet of the whole show; there were so many beautiful vehicles in attendance!).
I asked a few car enthusiasts what they enjoyed most about attending the many car shows in and around the area. Some said they just loved to see the old cars returned to life while others enjoyed gaining and sharing knowledge with other like-minded enthusiasts. Whatever the reason, there was an ocean of smiles in that field.
Everyone admitted the organizers outdid themselves. It was a great show!
This year, three Baldur School class reunions were happening. The graduating classes of 1974, 1975 and 1985 came out to reminisce and discover where life had taken their classmates. According to attendees, it was great fun and great to be able to catch up with old friends!
One man who was a member of one of the two groups, (but asked for anonymity) asked how it was possible that he was able to stay so young looking, while everyone else had gotten so much older. Trying to avoid answering, I had to admit to him that it was a good question, but I was also unsure.
There was an abundance of activities for all the children in attendance, making it tough for many to pick their first choice. However, the bouncy castles emerged as the standout attraction.
The Baldur Flower Committee’s Free Perennial/Plant Swap was a great success again this year with a huge assortment of plants brought in and adopted.
The silent auction drew significant attention, featuring an impressive array of prizes waiting to be won.
Softball tournaments consistently deliver excitement, and this year was no exception, with six competitive teams taking the field.
The cold plate supper was a resounding success, serving 145 guests!
The DJ kept the energy high, ensuring the crowd stayed on their feet, while exciting impromptu games of corn hole added to the fun.
The Flip Cup Tournament was a blast to watch and even more fun to play. Sixteen teams battled it out, with first place winners of A Side – Raegan Johnson, Travis Strain, Drew Sheils, and Jeff Schwarz. First place winners of B Side – Austin Wytinck, Rheanna Nicholson, Tasha Livingstone, and Brittany Krahn.
There was a lot going on this weekend, and with so many moving parts, it wasn’t humanly possible for organizers to generate final numbers and other details of the event that quickly.
There are so many people to give credit to for helping to make this year’s Summer Solstice Days as great as it was. See page 16 for the list.
And a special thank you to everyone who attended!
It is events like Baldur’s Summer Solstice Days 2025 that make it clear that in each of our small towns, every smile shared, every hand offered in support, and every local business strengthened creates a tapestry of resilience. Here, we lift each other up, proving that community isn’t just a word, it’s the heartbeat of our shared lives.
Congratulations, Baldur, on a job well done. We can’t wait for 2026 to see what it brings!
PHOTO CAPTION; A new event at the Baldur Soltice Days was the Paint the Street party. It took a few minutes for the kids to realize that there were in fact ‘no rules’ and soon there was large murals on the street, the sidewalk as well as many legs and arms of anyone standing close by. PHOTO BY SUZANNE PADDOCK
