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It was raining cats and dogs…
…and there were a couple of poodles in
front of the house when we decided to take off to Alliston for
the annual Burgenländer Picnic near Highways 50 and 9.
 Taking
into consideration that a large hall is available if the rain
continued, we didn’t cancel our trip – and were glad we didn’t.
 The
closer we got to our destination the less rain fell. Arriving at
the Evening Bell Park, at about noon, it had more or less
stopped. This time it was easier to find parking closer to the
site since many of the potential participants decided to come a
bit later.
 The
earlier arrivals – after church service – were still in the hall
in preparation for lunch of Wiener Schnitzel or very tasty
sausages with sauerkraut.
 Erwin
Huber did not disappoint – his "Berliners" were terrific, hard
to resist and in good supply but so were the other cakes and
cookies
 that
were offered – especially the succulent "Pflaumenkuchen" (plum
cake). When the bar opened the bestseller was the tasty Gösser
beer, from Austria of course! However, not many overindulged –
they were probably the designated drivers!
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| President Jow Novacovic
behind the bar |
A busy kitchen |
When we arrived, the tables under the trees outside were still
empty – but it did not take long to fill them with revellers,
many of whom had brought their own picnic furniture.
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| The rain has stopped |
A picnic we will have |
 Among the luminaries in evidence were: Father Karl Hoeppe from
St. Patrick’s Church; Dr. Karl Schmidt, Austrian Consul – who,
in his
 welcoming address – mentioned that this would be the last
time that he could attend this event. He is going to take over
new duties in Europe.
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| Joe Folk liked his
schnitzel |
A proud grandfather |
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| Holding on to mom |
Dr. Karl Schmidt & Helmut
Jandrasits |
It took a while but we finally managed to get all the members of
the club’s Board of Directors trickling together in one spot for
a group photo.
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| The board of directors of
the Burgenländer Club |
 The Golden Keys arrived and by the time they had set up, the
concrete dance floor had dried out and it did not take long for
it to fill with dancers. What a great group these musicians are!
Needless to mention, that the swimming pool was heavily in use -
mostly by the younger visitors of the picnic.
| At the swimming
pool |
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 In the opening ceremony Otto Novakovic, President, Roy Perl,
Vice President and Dr. Karl Schmidt addressed the guests, which
was followed by the Austrian and Canadian National Anthems.
Brazil fest has been moved up to September 7th
and will be at the Sunnyside Beach Pavilion – at 1755 Lakeshore
Blvd.West.(Not on the Toronto Island, as before).
"Buskerfest" – highly recommended – takes place from 23rd
to 26th of August at The St Lawrence Market and Front
Street between Church & Jarvis: Low-cost fun –out in the sun!
(If it doesn’t rain!) Taste of the Danforth from August 8
to 10 will be interesting again and so will be the Beer
Festival at Fort York from 7th to 10th
of August. If you need additional info let Google help you on
the Internet.
The fourth annual Salsa on St. Clair was a rousing
success - with the Latin flair triumphing again. Live music,
dancing in the street, dance lessons and food – food – food.
Intriguing was the fact that a can of pop and a bottle of water
both cost $2.00. Guess what sold well. But the crowd of
thousands had a great time, including the real small children
(if they did not fall asleep in the stroller- despite the
noise).
Noise and pulsating rhythms were provided by a sizzling line-up
of the best Latino musicians of various bands such as Grupo
Fuzion, Rhythmic Five. Imboyakunos, Samba Squad, Salsa on Six,
Santerias, Maracatu, Gypsy and more. Salsa Congress featured
Dance lessons and exhibits plus more music!
YTV’s Weird on Wheels was an interactive site where children
could sing along with their favorite TV characters and play
games. They had a ball! My advice: Don’t miss it next year!
As always
Dick Altermann
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