Applying the final touches to the Country Open

The finishing touches for the 19th Annual Northern Ontario Open Country Singing Contest was well underway tonight in Lee Park.

The contest historically has been under the North Bay Heritage Festival, but early in March organisers in concert with the Nipissing Country Music Association decided to host their own free stand alone event and event chair Harley Renaud says with 52 entries it looks very promising.

“I am very confident,” he says as he drills in the steps for the judges’ table.

“And I am glad we did what we did. Yes I am hoping this becomes an annual event.”

Renaud is also pleased that they have Curbside Fries and Pizza Hut as food vendors as well as Churchill’s.

“Churchill’s has set up the beer garden and apparently they have agreed to give us %50 of the profits.”

Renaud also said he has a faithful group of 20 volunteers that have been working on the free stand alone event since early March, and will continue to work right through till all is cleaned up on Sunday.

The event kicks off Friday morning (August 24th) at 10am through to the finals on Sunday August 26th.