Mothers celebrated through tea, trivia

Mothers and families across Brandon marked Mother’s Day Sunday with special events, ranging from elegant high tea gatherings to a themed trivia competition.

At Backyard on Aberdeen, owner Aida Harrison welcomed guests for the restaurant’s annual Mother’s Day high tea event, featuring homemade treats, specialty teas and a relaxed atmosphere.

“We have a classic nice arrangement, nice flowers with nice music and homemade high tea,” Harrison told the Sun.

The event, now in its third year, drew both returning and first-time customers.

“We’re open for both booking and walking in,” she said. “Lots of customers from last year and the year before always know what we provide, so they book it because we do it family style at the table.”

About 50 people were expected throughout the day, with roughly 30 guests having already attended by early afternoon.

Rather than dancing or entertainment, Harrison said the focus was on relaxation and quality family time.

“Today people just come in, sit and eat,” she said. “We have relaxing music, Mother’s Day pictures on the screen. Today is like going to the restaurant and dining, but high dining with the high tea.”

Guests were served a variety of homemade menu items, including crepes with sausage, scones, chocolate pancakes, quiche, fruit and mini cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese, alongside customized tea selections.

Meanwhile, the City of Brandon Parks and Recreation Services hosted a Mother’s Day trivia event at T-Bird Food Fun Games on Sunday as part of its ongoing recreation programming.

Recreation co-ordinator Brady Dane said the department regularly organizes themed trivia nights throughout the year around holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

“This is Mother’s Day trivia day,” Dane told the Sun. “We do five rounds of trivia, and the questions are themed around Mother’s Day for the most part.”

The competition featured eight teams of four participants competing through five rounds of questions and a “Double or Nothing” finale, with prizes awarded to the top three teams.

Dane said the trivia events have grown steadily over the past three to four years and are often held in partnership with local restaurants.

“It allows people to have some food and some drinks and then do a good trivia night and have a little fun,” he said.

Beyond trivia events, Dane highlighted the wide range of programming offered through the city’s recreation department, including fitness classes, youth sports, language courses and family events.

“Especially in the summer, we’ve got live events, concerts, family fun days and all kinds of other stuff,” he said in an interview. “Lots of stuff to check out that the City of Brandon recreation department is doing.”

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