Fundraiser features live music, theatre and UFO-themed fun Aug. 8 in Ryall Park
Ryall Park will host an evening of mystery, music and community spirit as Communities in Bloom (CIB) and the Boyne River Keepers (BRK) team up for a Long Table Dinner fundraiser on Friday, Aug. 8.
The event, which runs from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, will feature live entertainment from the Dirt Road Pilots and Back on Cue Live Community Theater, all wrapped in a Charlie Redstar-inspired theme — a nod to the UFO sightings that captivated the region 50 years ago.
Organizers hope to sell 300 tickets at $75 each. Tables for eight are also available for $600 and must be purchased via cash, cheque or e-transfer. Individual tickets can also be bought. Presales begin Monday, June 23 at Ryall Park from 4 – 7 p.m. or by calling 204-745-6134.
Guests will be seated at long tables and are encouraged to embrace the otherworldly Charlie Redstar theme by wearing white and donning imaginative headgear. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative and most “out of this world” table displays. Attendees are asked to bring their own plates, cutlery and glasses.
The dinner will spotlight locally sourced ingredients in a “field-to-table” culinary experience. Chef Tracy Bernard confirmed, the full menu is still in development.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward revitalization efforts in Ryall Park, a central green space along the Boyne River in the heart of Carman’s business district. Recent upgrades, including the installation of a dock, have already expanded the park’s year-round recreational use.
“Since 2024, the biggest change has been BRK volunteers fundraising and installing a new dock into the Boyne River at Ryall Park,” said Susan Mooney, a longtime BRK volunteer and advocate for the space.
Mooney said the new dock has already helped increase public engagement with the river through activities like kayaking, skating, and snowshoeing. “The celebration of World Rivers Day in September has been increasing the awareness of the new dock and all it has to offer for recreation to the local community and visitors,” she added. BRK initiatives have also highlighted the region’s biodiversity and deepened the community’s connection to the Boyne’s natural and cultural history, including Indigenous roots.
Looking ahead, organizers hope to use proceeds from the Long Table Dinner to address accessibility and safety issues in the park. “As it stands now, the landscape of Ryall Park is a mobility challenge and safety issue because of very uneven terrain,” Mooney explained. “Any funds raised will allow CIB to begin working towards improving the landscape. The Town of Carman Council has given its approval of the proposed plan.”
Mooney believes revitalizing Ryall Park is vital not just for recreation, but for strengthening Carman’s downtown economy and community life. “Ryall Park is a peaceful, beautiful place along the Boyne River to meet friends for lunch, a picnic or coffee,” she said. “The Bandstand in Ryall Park will draw interest for a variety of outdoor events — concerts, live theatre productions, family weddings, reunions…”
Most importantly, the goal is to make the space inclusive. “Part of the revitalization is to make Ryall Park accessible to all ages and all levels of mobility.”
For Mooney, seeing the community rally around the park through this fundraiser is deeply meaningful. “Carman is unique in its ability for local volunteer organizations to work together to accomplish positive change,” she said, sharing her favourite quote from Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’
For more on the dinner, Ryall Park’s future plans, or the enduring legend of Charlie Redstar, look for upcoming features in The Standard.
