Beyond the Poppy: Learn the proper protocol, what the Fergus Legion does year-round, and how its new Riverside Events Center serves Centre Wellington!

Join hosts Ryan Joyce and Barb Evoy as they sit down with Randy Graham, President of the Fergus Legion Branch 275.

With the Poppy Campaign (starting the last Friday in October) and Remembrance Day fast approaching, Randy highlights the Legion's central role in honouring our veterans. Learn the proper protocol for wearing the poppy: it should be worn on the left side over your heart and taken off at sundown on November 11th.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Remembrance Services: Details on the Fergus Cenotaph parade (departing the Legion around 9:40 AM on the 11th) and the Belwood service held on the Sunday before Remembrance Day.

• New Initiatives: Discover the "Red Shirt Program" (which comes from the acronym Remember Everyone Deployed) on Fridays, and the "No Stone Left Alone" initiative, encouraging families to decorate a stone for a veteran's grave.

• The Riverside Events Center: Get the scoop on the Legion's space, now known as the Riverside Events Center, and its availability for community use—from celebrations of life to a future wrestling event .

• Joining the Legion: Randy explains how the Legion is changing to become a welcoming service club for everyone, noting it's the largest service club across Canada.

The Fergus Legion is focused on remembrance, supporting veterans and their families, and the education of youth. Don't miss this important conversation about a pillar of the Centre Wellington community !

The costumes are packed away, but the community spirit is just warming up! This week, we're swapping spooky scares for steaming soup as we wrap up one of Centre Wellington's biggest-ever events and look ahead at a November packed with community connection, giving back, and great films.

Join us as we share our personal, behind-the-scenes highlights from Monster Month and give you your essential guide to all the local happenings in Elora and Fergus this month.

In this episode, you will discover:

• Our top three personal highlights from Monster Month, including the biggest surprises at the Monster Mash & March.

• The scoop on Sensational Soup Off & Empty Bowls, and how you can support the Centre Wellington Food Bank on November 2nd.

• The full schedule and essential details for the inaugural Elora Adventure Film Festival (November 6–9).

• Details on the upcoming Damn Good Comedy Show at the Fergus Legion.

• A respectful reminder of the Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 11th and a note on how the Poppy Campaign is now going digital.

• A special shout-out to the Collaborative Women of Wellington County and how they're supporting local female entrepreneurs.

• And more!

Step right up for the final terrifying ride! We chat with Darryl Magierowski, the mastermind behind Salem Frights, about 11 years of scares, the terrifying new "Hell Ride" attraction, and why this might be their last season!

Join Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy and Ryan Joyce as they welcome the creator of the legendary Salem Frights, Darryl Magierowski, to the podcast! Darryl pulls back the curtain on over a decade of dedication to frights and reveals the intense details of this year's haunted attraction—which might be the most intimate and terrifying experience yet!

In this spine-tingling episode, you'll hear about:

• 11 Years of Frights: The origin story of Salem Frights, including Darryl's childhood passion for building haunts and how he continuously experiments to enhance the scares.

• The Village of Salem: Stories from past haunts, including the famous "nun hallway" jump scare and the immersive "Village of Salem" theme.

• Introducing "Hell Ride": The new 10-minute dark ride experience for 2025, inspired by a "crazy laughing clown" and Coney Island freak shows, designed for small groups of four to maximize the terror.

• The Future of Fear: Darryl shares why this year's expanded, eight-night run might be the last season for Salem Frights due to the massive six-month time commitment.

• Your Chance to Win! Listeners can enter a ticket giveaway for two pairs of passes to experience "Hell Ride" for themselves.

Don't miss the inside scoop on the most terrifying attraction in Centre Wellington! Like and subscribe for your chance to win tickets!

The October 7th Centre Wellington Town Hall was a deeply passionate affair, highlighting the struggle between a "close-knit" community's concerns and the realities of immense tourism pressure.

We go inside the packed Jefferson Elora community hall, where residents gathered to confront polarizing issues like rapid growth and infrastructure strain. Mayor Shawn Watters addressed significant resident frustration and the surge in tourism.

The biggest news confirmed at the meeting? Reiterating the paid parking system for tourists to manage the impact of over 750,000 annual visitors.

Plus, we discuss the Mayor's biggest surprise and his call for "respectful dialogue".

Co-hosts Ryan Joyce and Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy (speaking independently of her Councillor role) break down how residents can best approach staff and council for education and understanding of the municipal process.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Tim Murton, the acclaimed artist and "monster maker" behind Elora's legendary Monster Month. This annual event, which Murton started 28 years ago, has become a beloved tradition in Centre Wellington.

In this episode, we sit down with Tim right in the heart of downtown Elora, coffee in hand, to explore his journey from a sought-after scenic designer in the movie industry to the creative force behind our local Halloween spectacle .

• From Film to Monsters: Tim worked as a scenic designer for movies like The Piano and Resident Evil before starting his monster-making journey

• The Origin Story: His doctor advised him to do something "crude" for himself, which led to him creating his first ghouls and hanging them on his house.

• The Power of Creativity: Tim finds it "really refreshing" to be around the "plasticity of mind" of young, creative people . He believes Halloween gives everyone the license to be creative and express their fears and desires without judgment.

• Balancing Scary and Funny: The key to his monsters is a simple pattern of "scary faces" that also make people laugh. He views his art as a way to prepare people's spirits for the dark months of the year with a sense of humor .

• A Cultural Responsibility: Tim felt a responsibility to continue Monster Month after people knocked on his door asking for the monsters when he didn't put them up one year. His biggest fear is for the event to become too commercial.

• The Future of Monster Month: Tim hopes the event will become a "festival of creativity" that others who love and support it will continue for years to come.

All this and more!

Don't forget to subscribe to the Elora Fergus Podcast and follow us on social media!

Get ready for the biggest month of the year! This episode is your definitive guide to all the ghoulish fun happening for Monster Month in Elora and Fergus . 🎃

The month is packed with family fun: from the Monster Month kick-off at "The Awakening", Magic Show Matinee and Comedy Hypnosis to the thrilling Salem Frights hell ride, Pumpkin Day, Monster March and more!

Don't miss a single scare!

Here's a look at the events in October:

OCT 3: The Awakening!
OCT 4: Magic Festival – Family Magic Show Matinee: An Afternoon of Fun
OCT 4: Hilariously Hypnosis Comedy Show
OCT 4, 11, 18, 25: Monster Tours
OCT 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 31: Fergus House of Horrors!
OCT 11: Pumpkin Day
OCT 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31, Nov 1: Salem Frights Haunted Attraction
OCT 18 & 19: Fall Festival – Artisan Market
OCT 18: Monster March!
OCT 18, 24, 25, 30: Fergus Ghost Walks
OCT 23: Candlelight Elora
OCT 24 & 25: Cemetery Tours
OCT 24 & 25: Murder Mystery at the Museum
OCT 25: Halloween Haunt Street Walk
OCT 25: Spooky Hive - All ages welcome
OCT 25: Halloween Drag with House of Kameleon
OCT 25: The Monster Mash
OCT 26: Mystic Sunday
OCT 30: Halloween Trivia Contest at the GrandWay
OCT 30: 'Lifting the Veil'
OCT 31: Hallow'Tots
OCT 31 & NOV 1: Beyond the Veil
NOV 1: Pumpkin Walk (Upcycle your Jack-O-Lantern)

Step into the world of spooky fun! Join us as we explore the magic behind Sensational Elora's Monster Month, from its monstrous origins to the community spirit that brings it to life.

This episode features an exclusive interview with Barbara Lee from Sensational Elora, the organization behind Monster Month. She explains how this month-long event celebrates all things Halloween and the "dark side with a sense of humour".

The episode also includes a rare, exclusive interview with a Monster from Monster Month.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The History of Monster Month: The tradition started when local artist Tim Burton began mounting creepy monsters on buildings downtown Elora, which eventually grew into the huge event it is today.
• The "Monster Spa": The monsters are pulled out of storage in the summer for a "spa treatment," where volunteers repair them.
• Key Events: Monster Month features a variety of activities, including the Awakening, Monster March, Pumpkin Day, and the Soup-Off.
• How to Get Involved: Sensational Elora, the non-profit organization that runs Monster Month, relies on volunteers and donations to support the events and raise money for the food bank. You can find volunteer, donation, and sponsorship opportunities on the Sensational Elora and Monster Month websites.

Don't miss a single episode—subscribe now and visit EloraFergusPodcast.com for more!

Get ready for a jam-packed episode! Elora Fergus Podcast hosts Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy and Ryan Joyce dive into a couple of major events coming to our community this week and next!

First, Barbara shares all the details about the inaugural Zehrs All Clubs Day—a unique new event uniting local service groups to combat food insecurity and bring our community closer together.

Then, Ryan takes us into the world of illusion as he talks about the fifth annual Ontario Magic Festival, celebrating our area's magical history with two incredible shows for both kids and adults

But that's not all!

We also highlight the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and explore the incredible talent on display during the annual Elora Fergus Studio Tour.

Tune in to get the inside scoop on these can't-miss fall events and discover why this autumn is going to be especially magical.

Upcoming Events in Elora & Fergus

• Zehrs All Clubs Day

  • When: Saturday, September 27th
    

  • Where: Behind the Fergus Sportsplex

  • What: A free family event with food, games, face painting, and more, uniting community service clubs to help address food insecurity.

• Ontario Magic Festival

  • When: Saturday, October 4th

  • Where: Fergus Grand Theatre

  • What: Two shows featuring world-class magic: a family matinee at 2 p.m. and a hypnotic comedy show at 7:30 p.m.

  • Visit: https://magicfestival.ca

PLUS:

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

  • When: Tuesday, September 30th

  • Where: Fergus Grand Theatre

  • What: An important evening of remembrance and learning, encouraging the community to wear orange in solidarity.

• Elora Fergus Studio Tour

  • When: September 27th & 28th and October 4th & 5th (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

  • Where: Various artist studios across Elora, Fergus, and the surrounding area

  • What: Meet local artists and explore their creative spaces.

  • Visit: https://elorafergusstudiotour.com