The third annual Wellington North Showcase, held at the Arthur and Area Community Centre this week, was bigger and better than ever with 89 businesses and organizations setting up booths to showcase their products and services.

Kudos to the entire Wellington North Economic Development Committee, under the leadership of Business & Economic Manager Dale Small and Tourism, Marketing and Promotion Manager April Marshall, for organizing the topnotch event. Kudos also to the businesses and organizations for getting behind the project because it was the wealth of things to see – and the chance of winning door prizes – that saw people attend in droves.

Although the committee didn’t even attempt to keep a record of the number attending, over 300 people picked up Wellington North Simply Explore reusable bags at the door. The sturdy blue bags feature the attractive new township logo.

“We seemed to have more people coming through from the public (than in previous years),” Small told the Enterprise News on Wednesday. Because it was the third annual showcase, more people seemed to realize that the Tuesday afternoon event was designed for them to attend.

In each of the bags was a copy of the Wellington North Simply Explore… featuring the Butter Tart Trail™ brochure. The attractive brochure includes a listing of 2012 events in Wellington North, local accommodations and places to both eat and buy local, and ‘experiences’ that can be explored in the township including the Wellington North Birding Trail. The brochure is supported by local advertising.

The brochures also feature a map of the Butter Tart Trail™ road tour and paved cycling route that winds its way through the township, with blurbs about each of the stops and information about where butter tarts are available. As the brochure proclaims, “The trails of Wellington North lead to butter tarts… How sweet is that!”

“The brochure… needed to have a refresh and it has had a refresh,” Small said. “There are lots of merchants in the Simply Explore brochure and information about the trail itself.”

Arthur stops on the Butter Tart Trail™ include Erni’s Place, Labelle Flowers, The Plumber’s Wife and River’s Edge Goat & Dairy, “home of the official goat butter tarts, made with real goat butter” as well as Oxy Acres on the 3rd Line, Arthur. Kenilworth stops include Kenilworth Country Kitchen, “home of the famous butter tart sundae,” and Roxanne’s Antiques. Conn’s Misty Meadows, Moorefield’s Pinecorner Tree Farm and Farewell’s “B-Active Cycle & Fitness.” Mount Forest stops on the Butter Tart Trail™ are Night & Day Studio “featuring the butter tart plate,” Country Creations, Spoil Me Pets “home of the official Butter Tart Trail™ dog treat,” The Raven’s Rune, Munro’s On Main and, just north of Mount Forest, The Spot.

The brochure also features a passport. Those exploring the Butter Tart Trail™ are asked to have the passport stamped at a minimum of 12 stops and fill in the form for a chance to win prizes, including the Official Butter Tart Trail™ Recipe Book.

April Marshall has been collecting butter tart recipes and, although she was unavailable for comment this week, Small says he believes several recipes have been submitted.

 An extremely nice feature of this week’s Wellington North Showcase was that two local organizations were benefactors. The Arthur Skating Club operated the Butter Tart Café concession, keeping all proceeds, and in lieu of admission those attending were urged to bring nonperishable food items. On Wednesday three big boxes of food were delivered to the Arthur Food Bank.

Small said he has had “positive feedback” from the businesses that took part in the Wellington North Showcase. The fourth annual showcase will be held next spring in Mount Forest.