Tourism Elliston prepares for fifth annual Roots, Rants and Roars Festival
September 17, 2014 – Elliston, NL – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Tourism Elliston will showcase regional food, music and culture to residents and visitors this weekend with the annual Roots, Rants and Roars Festival, taking place from September 19-20. As a premiere culinary event that will bring in well-known chefs to prepare local foods, the festival will profile the area’s tourism attractions, culture and agriculture sector.
Three main events will take place during the festival, with “The Cod Wars” competition kicking things off on September 19 as local chefs prepare cod fish in unique ways and participants vote to crown one chef as the king or queen of cod. On September 20, the “The Food Hike” will lead participants through a five kilometre loop along Elliston’s shoreline to sample food at various stations prepared by some of Canada’s best chefs, while enjoying the local landscape. The final event, “The Feast,” also takes place on September 20, and is billed as a relaxing evening with six courses of local food, each prepared by a different chef.
The Roots, Rants and Roars Festival will include some of Canada’s best chefs, such as Anthony Walsh (Corporate Executive Chef/Partner of award winning Oliver and Bonacini restaurants), Marc Lepine (Executive Chef/Owner of Atelier) and Jessica Pelland (Executive Chef of Char Bar restaurant and Rooftop Grill in Calgary and winner of Chopped Canada). In addition, top local chefs such as Chris Chafe (The Doctor’s House Inn), Todd Perrin (Mallard Cottage) and Murray McDonald (Fogo Island Inn) will prepare food during “The Cod Wars” and “The Feast” (full list: http://rootsrantsandroars.ca/events).
Entertainment will also feature prominently during each event, with performances from well-known Newfoundland and Labrador musicians Séan McCann, Jim Payne, Craig Young, Sherman Downey, Arthur O’Brien, Fred Jorgensen, Matthew Hornell, Ian Foster, Amelia Curran and the Navigators.
The Governments of Canada and of Newfoundland and Labrador are supporting the festival with a total of $86,000 in funding. The initiative, which will promote Newfoundland and Labrador food products, wines, food producers, farmers and rich culture, is expected to attract both resident and non-resident tourists to the Bonavista Peninsula.
Quick Facts:
- The annual Roots, Rants and Roars Festival focuses on culinary tourism, which is the development and promotion of prepared food and drink as an attraction for visitors.
- The Government of Canada investments were provided through ACOA’s Business Development Program ($40,000) and the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage ($16,000).
- The Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation contributed $30,000 towards the festival.
- Tourism Elliston Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that develops tourism potential and identifies other long-range initiatives to promote tourism with the goal of enhancing the natural and cultural environment for all residents of the area.
- In addition to the annual Roots, Rants and Roars Festival, Tourism Elliston organizes the annual Bird Island Puffin Festival, has restored 42 of the town's 135 root cellars, restored key heritage properties and developed interpretation related to the subsistence story.
Quotes:
“Our Government is pleased to support Tourism Elliston as it showcases the culinary and cultural richness of this region of the province through the Roots, Rants and Roars Festival. This is a great opportunity to highlight the region’s heritage and further develop experiential tourism on the Bonavista Peninsula, which is helping to diversify the industry and create economic benefits for the entire region.”
The Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador and Minister of State (ACOA)
“The Roots, Rants and Roars Festival continues to highlight local culture and connects people to the land and sea through an interactive culinary experience. It is important that we continue to find new and innovative opportunities to expand the tourism season in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
The Honourable Tony Cornect, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
“We are very excited to be holding our fifth annual Roots, Rants and Roars Festival this weekend. This event will build on past festivals by offering an exceptional culinary tourism experience that profiles local food and culture, and our way of life, on the Bonavista Peninsula.”
Marilyn Coles-Hayley, Chairperson, Tourism Elliston
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Contacts:
Kelsie Corey
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-941-7241
Julie Afonso
Acting Director, Public Affairs
ACOA NL
709-772-2984
Marilyn Coles-Hayley
Chairperson
Tourism Elliston
709-468-1440
Melony O’Neill
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
709-729-0928
Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788
Gilles Thériault
Manager, Communications, Atlantic Region
Department of Canadian Heritage
506-851-3980
