"A quarter century after his Man in Motion World Tour and in preparation for his 25th Anniversary Rick Hansen Relay, which will re-create the Canadian portion of his original tour, Rick Hansen is looking for residents of Bradford West Gwillimbury to help cover the 12,000-km trek across Canada.
One man in motion will be represented and celebrated by many in motion, as 7,000 participants from across Canada who have made their own difference in the lives of others will walk, wheel or run in the Rick Hansen Relay, which begins Aug. 24 in Cape Spear, Nfld. and concludes May 22, 2012 in Vancouver.
The 25th anniversary relay is planned to pass through Bradford West Gwillimbury in December 2011.
To find and recognize relay participants, the Rick Hansen Foundation launched an online public contest that opened Tuesday at rickhansenrelay.com, allowing Canadians 13 and older to enter to win a spot for themselves or nominate a worthy individual to participate in the relay as a medal-bearer." ...

"On May 27th, 1857, the Town of Bradford was incorporated. Next Sunday, May 27th, Bradford will launch a year of Sesquicentennial celebrations, with a Re-enactment, Proclamation and Sesquicentennial Flag-raising, 3 p.m. outside the Bradford West Gwillimbury Council Chambers on Holland St. East.
There will be a proclamation by the Mayor, greetings from the County, Province and Federal government - and a brief (and humorous) re-enactment of the incorporation, by the award-winning Bradford District High School Drama Club.
Then watch as the flag is raised, and enjoy a slice of Sesquicentennial cake.
Organizers are looking for participants for a Sesquicentennial Parade to take place at 3 p.m. on August 19th, following the same route as the Santa Claus Parade. The theme: 'Bradford Through the Ages'.
Anyone with antique farm equipment, classic or antique cars; representatives of Minor League sports, and hockey alumni of Bradford's historic teams (The Blues, Vasey Jrs., etc); choirs and bands - in fact, any community group, business or organization is invited to participate in this historic event.
The Town is looking for nominations for Parade Marshal; residents can nominate anyone for the honorary position. There will also be a contest for Junior Marshal."

Description : "Bradford's Centennial Anniversary was celebrated in 1957, and the 125th Anniversary was celebrated in 1982. By extension, it would follow that Bradford's Sesquicentennial (150th) Anniversary be celebrated in 2007. If we were to consult the history books, we would learn Bradford was in the company of many other municipalities incorporated in 1857. They included Newmarket, Waterloo, Milton, Oakville and Owen Sound, all of whom will be celebrating this year. Furthermore, some organizations, like the Masons were instituted in Bradford in 1857; some Bradford residents were married in 1957. These people mark their special events in conjunction with the Town's anniversary. What happens to these traditions, if we arbitrarily say that we do not have enough time to prepare for the festivities? We, as a town, have so many annual events currently in place, which have been nurtured over the years to become Bradford's tourist attractions. We would only need to add a 150th component to them in this special year. Think of Canada Day, Carrot Fest and the Santa Claus Parade with a 150th Anniversary theme! Our residents are ingenious and inventive community, with at least 3 winter months to plan for an exciting spring, summer, and autumn slate of events. Let us not tamper with tradition and change the dates of Bradford's proud history."

Poster for the 2012 Carrotfest event on Saturday, August 18th, 2012

Poster for the 2013 Carrotfest event on Saturday, August 17th, 2013

Poster for the 2014 Carrotfest event on Saturday, August 16th, 2014

Poster for the 2015 Carrotfest weekend event from Saturday, August 14th, 2015 to Sunday, August 15th, 2015

Poster for the 2016 Carrotfest weekend event from Saturday, August 19th, 2016 to Sunday, August 20th, 2016