Plans continue to come together for FireFest in downtown Chatham. 
The event almost didn’t happen because of a dispute with the municipality.
Mayor Darrin Canniff says he approached organizers at the start of the year to try to find ways to make it work.
“We stepped up and said ok, what was standing in your way? As a volunteer, you’re putting a lot of work into it and you run into a lot of obstacles, so we eliminated those obstacles.”
Canniff says they streamlined the application process with a single point-person, or what the Mayor describes as a “concierge service” rather than organizers having to access multiple municipal departments.
“That’s what we’re trying to do for all events, that’s what we’re trying to do for businesses as well.”
Organizer Brent Denure says the theme of this year’s event focuses on the Detroit Fire Department.
“Usually with FireFest, I do about a 15 month plan-ahead, so I’ve got a good idea of year two before we even play year one,” he explains. But having already announced the event was cancelled for 2019, Denure says that timeline was shortened.
“I didn’t have the luxury of time that I usually have, but I did have friends. I’m very fortunate to have a lot of friends with the Detroit Fire Department, so consequently there is a big Detroit flavour this year.”
FireFest will bring about 100 antique fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars to downtown Chatham on September 21st.
You can read the full schedule of events on the FireFest website.