Win-win event in LaSalle: families get free entertainment, performers get back to work

Matthew Krist, a stilts performer with Dispatch Talent is in LaSalle to entertain local families, on Saturday, April 23, 2022. (Michelle Maluske / CTV Windsor)

The Town of LaSalle hosted their first ever Spring Fling event Saturday, thanks to a grant from the Reconnect Ontario program.

“The basic premise was to try to sort-of kickstart the tourism and events industry,” according to Scott Bisson, manager of culture and recreation for LaSalle.

“The funding was to get Ontario-based performers and that’s what we’ve done is got a bunch of performers from across the province to come here and entertain the people,” says Bisson.

One of them is Sean Rooney, A.K.A. The Balloon Maestro, who combines magic with unique balloon creations.

He says it’s great to be back performing for families and has noticed that younger children are more shy than before the pandemic.

“Some of them aren't even used to socializing so they're so shy but once they open up, they're just they're going crazy,” says Rooney.

He tells CTV News he spent the pandemic learning how to turn a deflated balloon into a musical instrument.

“That took like hundreds of hours of practice and COVID enabled me to do that,” says Rooney. “I've been a hermit working on my craft and developing lots of crazy skills.”

The weather couldn’t have been better for this rain-or-shine, indoor and outdoor event.

“We’re just excited to have this beautiful weather to have everybody out,” says Bisson “We have lots of great events throughout the rest of the spring and summer. So it's a great way to kick it off.”