Ye editor was both intrigued and a bit leeryof the TSN Sports Centre 10-10 Kraft Celebration Tour that came to Trenton ON for the last stop on its 10 day tour of Canada. Intrigued because on can see on the Sportscast not only the enthusiasm of the crowds, the many special Tour events unique to each city, but also some amazing stories about each tour city and the people their. This is a well produced show. But I was leery that the event would be super-commercialized with obnoxious Kraft and other advertsing sprouting up everywhere. Wrong! Ixnay on heavy dose of commercialism. Rather Kraft has taken a soft sell approach, promoting products as free giveaways or part of kids and people activities in the park where the tour takes place. Good move!
The Sports Centre Stage
The Sports Centre stage was located in Trenton’s Centennial park right at the the Bay of Quinte end where apleasant breeze off the waters kept the area pleasantly comfortable in the full sunshine of late afternoon. Fortunately, in Sports centre TV anchors, Dan O’Toole and Jay Onrait, TSN has two personalities who enjoy entertaining an audience with wit, singing humor and small town charm. For two and one half hours their patter and stunts. The clicker, was Jay Onrait ,who is well over 6 feet tall, standing next to diminutive Olympic Women’s Soccer Star Diane Matheson who scored the Bronze medal winning goal in London.
Surrounding the stage was a crowd of 250-300 Trentonians which got to belt out some Neil Diamond and Guns+Roses songs with more than ample vocal help and dancing from Dan and Jay. Clearly a good time was had by all.
And right next door was lots of kids fun.
Here is a basketball court which proved to be very popular with both girls and boys. And it was surprising how many kids lined up for the the Jello Jump Hut.
And right next door was the Amooza Air slide where there were many squeals of delight –
Here too, there was a big line up among the kids to go down the slide.
Trenton’s Centennial Park is the perfect place for a show like this. because there are lots of fields [2 soccer and one baseball] plus some knolls and hills for for the nearby Amphitheater. The kids water slide took advantage of the hillside-
And the kids were zooming back up the hill to get there next turn going on the slide.
One gal put on quite a show as seen below –
You can see the looks of a natural athlete here – perhaps a Winter Olympic skeleton or luge competitor.
And just beyond the water slide, is the park’s skateboard area –
The skateboard area was very impressive but also lookedlike the perfect place for a bad fall. The guys – and it was mostly guys here – told me that injuries were rare. Also because it was close to dinner time the crowd had thinned out. “Around 7 there will be lots of people here again – many on bikes” I was assured. Wow with bikes in on the mix … well I don’t know.
Activities for the Grown-ups
Now most of these events were part of the regular Sunday evening activities in Centennial Park. First, there were boaters on the Bay. The Bay of Quinte and the Trent river are naturals for all sorts of boating. And you could see it with the many marina up and down the shoreline –
As noted before, Centeenial Park juts right up to the Bay of Quinte right where the Trent river meets the Bay. So it is boating fun abounds.
And just to the west is the Centennial Amphitheater –
where the evening concert promises sets from Connor Skrysny, Nathaniel MacDonald, and the Tea Kettles. Lots going on to say the least.
But there is more -an antique carshow –
I had my eye on a throw back –
a flaming red Buick Eight Special with the flaming yellow and orange trim to prove it.
In sum, the TSN Sports Center Kraft Celebration Tour fit comfortably into the Summer Fun to be found at Trenton’s Centennial and added an ample measure of its own fun and games. Very well done.