Meeting your neighbour and the spirit of friendship showcased in Landmark

Landmark showcased its friendly reputation this past weekend with three days of community spirit, fun and family activities that kept the town and its many visitors enjoying the good weather.

Activities at the Landmark Friendship Festival ranged from hot dog roasts and outdoor movies, to pancake breakfasts and a parade, to a vendor’s village and multi-denominational lunches that rounded out a weekend of friendly fun.

Pastor Cyndey Warkentin and her husband Les, of the Saturday Night Church in Landmark added farmer sausage to plates already filled with golden pancakes and a long line of hungry community members that turned out for the event and its community spirit.

“This is our third year hosting the breakfast,” said Warkentin. “Just about our entire congregation is here helping out. All for the Tache food bank. We’re having a really great turnout this year.”

Jordan Penner, his wife Jody and mother-in-law Sue from the church all nod in unison while filling cups of coffee as fast as they can to keep up with the demand. “Coffee is the most under-appreciated but most important part of the breakfast,” said Jordan with a wink.

As with so many community festivals, Landmark’s relies heavily on a group of committed volunteers to bring everything together for the visitors. Pam Kries and her husband Aime Flett are examples of just that as they work diligently across from the breakfast crew to get the soon-to-open vendor’s mall set up for the incoming marketers.

It’s no small effort to keep upwind from their can of orange spray paint and the “X’s” they are placing at precise intervals over the baseball diamond while safely wielding their snapping measuring tape. “I coordinate the vendors and make sure everyone has an assigned spot so it comes together in time for the opening,” said Pam. “We gotta get back at it!”

Other volunteers, like Cherie Hebert and Steven Reinheimer are busy moving traffic barricades and explaining to commuters they either have to turn around or register to be a float in the parade as they set up the barriers outlining the route.

Hebert was excited to be a first-time volunteer and hopes to serve on the organizing committee next year for the festival.

“We love Landmark, the kids love it, and we love having our family live here … It lives up to the friendship label, and we want to contribute to that,” said Hebert before returning to her traffic assignment.