My family moved to Almonte when I was eleven years old.
I thought my life was over.
Population 4000, this sleepy little town didn't even have a traffic light let alone a movie theatre, or mall, or any other form of pre-teenaged entertainment.
Though I did end up having an amazing childhood here, it still didn't stop me from high tailing it to Toronto as soon as high school was over.
But here I am again.
Back in Almonte in my 30s, raising a family and loving every minute of it.
Almonte (aka Funmonte) has changed.
Evolved.
What was once a pretty quiet downtown core is now a hub of activity. Tourism is at an all time high, and our local festivals are something to be proud of.
This weekend was BusFusion.
Volkswagon bus owners from across North America convene for one weekend on our local fairgrounds for a weekend of camaraderie, relaxation and photo ops.
Never before have a wanted to own one of these babies more.
Maybe we should sell the green house and get one of these instead.
I've been visiting BusFusion for many years, but this weekend was particularly awesome.
The weather was perfection, and for the first time, these guys were there:
Welcome to the Brew Bus Lounge.
How ridiculously awesome is THIS idea? VW Buses tricked out into portable taps.
Naturally, I introduced myself and spent a good 30 minutes trying to woo these guys into taking part in a future Harvest Food & Drink.
They feature the beer of local breweries (this weekend Broadhead was on tap) and do the festival circuit.
We bonded over a love of great ideas and entrepreneurism.
A good logo never hurt anyone either.
Honestly, how lucky am I to live in a place where you can walk a few blocks from home and come across a bunch of hippies sleeping in their cars?
I'll leave you with my favourite.
This little sweetheart.
You can't tell me it's an accident that those chairs match perfectly.
And the dog? Enough with the cuteness already.
Happy weekend everybody. Get outside and explore your neighbourhoods!
If they're no fun, come to Almonte.
xo Em
