08/05/2026
Official Facebook Statement from Marna Berry, Port Stanley Calipso Festival Chair
To our wonderful community and dedicated car enthusiasts,
I want to address the situation at this past weekend’s car show directly and share what happened behind the scenes.
Long before the weekend arrived, the PS Calipso Festival committee explicitly requested that a portion of the parking lot be exempt from municipal parking fees so we could use it to fundraise for our festival. Central Elgin denied this request as it is against their policy.
When municipal staff informed us on Sunday that we could not use the grass on the berm due to recent rain, we were forced onto the paved municipal lot. Because it was a municipal lot, drivers had to pay a $10 parking fee. Jenna Bo Benna & volunteers personally spoke to every driver as they entered, explaining that we were waiving our usual PS Calipso Festival admission fee to offset the cost.
The main issue for these car enthusiasts was not the amount—it was that their $10 was going straight to municipal paid parking instead of supporting the festival, which is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit festival.
To make matters worse, the municipal ticket system went down. Drivers were actively attempting to buy parking tickets, but the kiosk was broken. I personally found the bylaw officer on-site and explained the situation. He rigidly reiterated that "no free parking is allowed." I explicitly told him we were not asking for free parking; our festival was entirely willing to sacrifice our own donations so the drivers could pay the town, but the drivers literally could not purchase tickets because the town's machine failed.
Rather than showing understanding, the officer informed me that the system was now working, stating there was no longer an excuse not to have a receipt. He was headed straight toward the lot to begin ticketing anyone without a pass. I immediately communicated with Jenna. Her immense passion for this festival drives her to work tirelessly all year long to put this entire event together. Jenna and her volunteer rushed to every single car to explain the looming threat of tickets. We asked the officer if he could give us just 30 minutes to help the drivers who couldn't get a ticket earlier when the system was down.
The lack of cooperation was baffling. On top of everything, we were slapped with a $140 ticket just for our band setting up. There was an aggressive, rigid attitude from enforcement that is incredibly difficult to understand, especially when they could clearly see we were doing everything in our power to comply.
If you were there, you saw our hearts break in two. The lot was full, and more cars were arriving. Then, faced with a broken kiosk, an immediate threat of ticketing, and the reality that their money was going to the municipality instead of our non-profit, 90 percent of the drivers chose to leave.
Clearly, this incident has brought to light a huge local issue regarding paid parking and enforcement that existed long before our festival and the Classic Car Show. As an event organizer, I feel it is only reasonable for the municipality to allow flexibility for community events like this. A classic car show brings massive foot traffic, regional tourism, and vibrant life to our area. Rigid enforcement on a non-profit weekend directly hurts the community spirit we are trying to build.
How Our Village Benefits From This Festival
A community-led event like PS Calipso Festival provides vital economic and social lifelines to Port Stanley:
Drives Local Business: We deliberately eliminated an outside vendor marketplace this year to funnel festival crowds directly into our local brick-and-mortar shops and restaurants.
Boosts Tourism: Events like the car show draw overnight visitors, fill patios, and put Port Stanley on the map across Ontario.
Fosters Community Connection: Free, family-friendly spaces allow generations of local families to connect and celebrate together.
The True Story of the Calipso Revival
Would it be easier to do nothing? Absolutely!! This was the choice the local Port Stanley BIA made when they decided to cancel financial investment in summer festivals, citing volunteer burnout and a desire to redirect funds elsewhere.
Refusing to let our summer tourism attraction go completely quiet, a group of dedicated local volunteers stepped up. We gathered because we believed our village deserved at least one major weekend to showcase its heart and heritage. We revived Calipso out of pure love for Port Stanley, working entirely on a non-profit, grassroots basis.
A Growing Crisis for Ontario Volunteer Festivals
What happened to us this weekend is a symptom of a much larger crisis across the province. Volunteer-led organizations and festivals are falling by the wayside all over Ontario due to an increasingly hostile environment:
Staggering Insurance Costs: Exploding premium prices and complex liability stipulations make it financially impossible for small committees to stay afl
