Summer festival in Nackawic sees great crowds and great entertainment
The World’s Largest Axe in Nackawic was the setting for one of this summer’s biggest Canada-wide acts during the Festival on the Bend. The Martin Boys, the country duo from Woodstock who placed second on season five of Canada’s Got Talent, took to the outdoor stage on the Nackawic waterfront for their very first time.
They put on an incredible country show with their fellow bandmates and had the crowd singing along, clapping their hands and even doing some dancing. Talented Hartland musician Layney Ross was the opening act, and it didn’t take her long to warm up the record-breaking crowd.
The week-long Festival had events for every age and interest, from a crib tournament, paint night, bingo, live pro-wrestling, a baby contest, a washer toss tournament, a corn boil and some pageants.
On Thursday evening, 18 girls, in three different categories, took part in the Little Miss Nackawic-Millville pageant. Coordinators Kim and her daughter, Gracie Myshrall, said they had a great summer working with the girls over a total of five practices. The girls learned an opening dance routine, how to properly walk the stage and how to respond to a question.
Kim Myshrall said the growth in their confidence in only five short weeks is what she noticed the most. She also pointed out that it was nice to see the girls encouraging kindness and confidence in each other.
The next night, another annual pageant was held at the Nackawic Arena. Six contestants competed for the title of Miss Nackawic-Millville 2025. Pageant coordinator, Karen Gillespie, said they had a great evening.
Gillespie has been organizing this event for many years and said she loves working with the girls each year and seeing how much they grow.
“The girls did an amazing job and I’m very proud of each of them,” she said.
Ashlynn Slack, 17, was crowned Miss Nackawic-Millville 2025. Slack attends Nackawic High School, where she is entering Grade 12 this fall. Her parents are Susanne Priest and Mark Slack. She said her first few days as Miss Nackawic-Millville have been beyond amazing.
“I can’t lie, I was the most excited for the parade because I got to ride in a Corvette (something I’ve never done before),” said Slack.
Slack said she was surprised when they called her name.
“Friday night, after my name hadn’t been called for anything and the only thing left was the title of Miss Nackawic-Millville, I was mentally preparing to have won nothing, until they announced my name for the title,” said Slack. Slack said she had many emotions, such as joy, excitement and feelings of pride.
“I couldn’t hold back the tears when I heard my name and looked to the audience to see my dad crying. It was an unexplainable feeling and a moment I won’t soon forget,” she said. Slack said she will spend this year representing her community to the best of her abilities and soaking up every minute of this marvellous opportunity.
“I will wear my crown with pride this year. I want to serve, learn and grow while hopefully inspiring youth to believe in who they are and to make an effort to be a part of the community,” Slack said.
On Saturday, the arena was packed with vendors and spectators who were catching one of the many entertainment acts that included The Magical Milburn, music by Kylie Watson, another magic act by Jessie Campbell, singer Iris Lloyd, and another local musician, Ryan Moorcroft. The Barn Owls entertained the crowd late afternoon.
Earlier in the day, the Kirk United Church held a giant yard sale, and the Nackawic Lions Club held their annual bean and salad supper, as well as a Country Jamboree. There were also a variety of food trucks on site. The free corn boil later in the day was a big hit. Greg MacFarlane, owner of Ryan’s Pharmacy and corn boil sponsor, said they went through 600 ears of corn by 8 p.m.
Throughout the day, children got to choose from many activities, including bouncy castles, snuggling with some cute llamas, paintball games, clowns, and sweet treats like cotton candy and popcorn.
Mayor Tim Fox commended the festival committee for their hard work, as well as the Recreation and Parks staff for their excellent work.
Festival Chairperson Donna Gagnon said the Festival was a huge success.
“Everything went off without a hitch and Saturday night with Layney Ross and The Martin Boys made it all that much better,” said Gagnon. She was surprised to see so many people on the Nackawic waterfront that evening.
“I figured we’d have a lot of people but I was shocked to see that many. I would say we had well over a thousand people just on the ground in front of the axe. I am extremely happy with the turn-out,” she said.
She said the committee is already busy planning the 2026 event and looking for theme ideas. You can follow their Facebook page “Festival on the Bend” for updates, including the rescheduled fireworks, which have yet to be confirmed, depending on the current weather situation.
