Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012
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The original Prairie Sour Cherry summer event (formerly Bruno Cherry Festival)
 BASIC EVENT INFOWhen: Sunday, August 19, 2012, opening at 7:00AM Admission: TBA Where: The grounds and orchard at St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission, Bruno, SK, located at the North end of Main Street in Bruno, SK. (map) What:
History of Bruno’s Cherry Festival / Cherry SundayThe Bruno Cherry Festival began in 2003 as a casual afternoon event with about 400 in attendance. One of the main attributes of the festival has been the location; the beautiful historic grounds of the former Ursuline Convent in Bruno. The convent had been run as a catholic girls school for over 75 years. The sisters closed the facility and in 2000 the University of Saskatchewan agreed to a five-year lease of the buildings and property. It became known as the Bruno Ursuline Campus. Dr. Bob Bors and others from the horticulture department at the University felt the grounds would be suitable for a demonstration orchard, particularly the dwarf sour cherry. Dr. Bors and Rick Sawatzky, fruit breeders at the University of Saskatchewan, developed these hardy cherries specifically for Saskatchewan’s harsh growing conditions. ‘SK Carmine Jewel’ was the first of the University’s cherries released in 1999. Five other cultivars were released in subsequent years: ‘Crimson Passion,’ ‘Romeo,’ ‘Juliet,’ ‘Cupid,’ and ‘Valentine.’ The success of the first Cherry Sunday provided the inspiration for the community to make the festival an annual event and The Carlton Trail Agricultural Society was formed. One of the goals of the Ag. Society, in organizing the festival, was to promote and celebrate the new sour cherry varieties. The festival also provided opportunities for commercial producers and backyard growers to highlight their products. With a $15,000 grant from the Saskatchewan Association of Agricultural Societies and Exhibitors, planning for the 2004 Bruno Cherry Festival shifted into high gear. Meanwhile, in 2003, the University ended their lease agreement. This forced the Sisters to make a decision – demolish the 60,000 square foot facility or continue to operate it as an Event Centre. St. Therese, has been overseeing the maintenance of the orchard since the spring of 2008 and this year (2012), for the first time, will take over the Cherry Sunday Event from The Carlton Trail Ag. Society. And as another first, the August 19, 2012 Cherry Sunday on will also feature a Cherry U-Pick! SCHEDULE
*ALSO HAPPENING events are not an official part nor operated/endorsed by Carlton Trail Ag. Society. Information is provided about these events as a free service to the organizers of these events for the purpose of cross-advertsing. SESSIONS & SPEAKERSTBAYou're too quick for us! Session Info will be entered here once we have confirmed the details :)Speaker:Info & BioENTERTAINMENTTBAYou're too quick for us! Entertainer Info will be entered here once we have confirmed the details :)CONTACT US
If you are here, looking for contact information for the Carlton Trail Ag Society, please contact Kevin Pulvermacher, chair, at 306-369-4109. | |||||||||||||
The event grew over the years to peak in 2009 at about 3,000 people over two days. Since then, organizers have scaled back the scope of the event to be closer to its roots. Today, it is a one day event, featuring local talent, cherry sundaes, speakers, and an opportunity to ‘u-pick’ the delicious sour cherries.
Under the leadership of Sister Maureen Maier, the Ursuline Sisters continued to operate the facility as the Prairie Ursuline Centre. During this time an additional 11,000 sour cherry trees were planted on a portion of the 65 acres of land on the Ursuline grounds. In 2007, the property was sold to another Catholic group who founded St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission in the facility. This was a good fit for the Sisters as it furthered their legacy of faith formation by passing the property on to a group that held similar religious and philosophical beliefs. It kept the property viable as an important physical and economic landmark in the community of Bruno.