Binder Twine Festival

The Binder Twine Festival, or usually Binder Twine, is an annual festival held the first Saturday after Labour Day in Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada. It is now one of the most popular festivals in southern Ontario, and marks the beginning of the harvest fair season in the Greater Toronto Area. The annual Binder Twine Festival in Kleinburg, held the first Saturday after Labour Day, launches the GTA's harvest fair season

In the late 19th century, farmers would come to the community to acquire binder twine with which they could bind sheaves of wheat. Charlie Shaw, a resident and owner of a hardware store, offered food and entertainment to those farmers, establishing the Binder Twine Night festival which was held annually until his death in the 1930s. In 1967, a committee of residents revived the concept as part of the Canadian Centennial celebrations.

The festival is organized and operated entirely by volunteers, which once included author Pierre Berton, a famous resident of the village. Berton's wife Janet was an executive of the organizing committee from 1967 until 1996, during which time she published 16 booklets about the history of Kleinburg. Binder Twine has become a successful community event, and has resulted in new town signage and the creation of Binder Twine Park.

Twine

Twine is a light string or strong thread composed of two or more smaller strands or yarns twisted, and then twisted together. More generally, the term can be applied to a cord.

Natural fibres used for making twine include cotton, sisal, jute, hemp, henequen, and coir. A variety of synthetic fibres are also used.

Applications

See also