SCOOP: Ford Fest is in a pickle

And back in black

ABOVE THE FOLD

Ontario is back in the black, thanks to billions in underspending — but first, we’ve got the scoop on a Ford Fest conundrum.

First in Observer — ON THE SUMMER BARBECUE CIRCUIT (OR NOT) — Anyone who has ever attended a Ford Fest — the Ford family’s community barbecues that were held in late matriarch DIANE’s backyard in Etobicoke and have since moved to bigger venues — knows that it’s Premier DOUG FORD’s favourite time to shine.

Ford is clearly in his element when getting mobbed by selfie-hungry Ford Nation fans — but sorry, London: there will be no free hot dogs for you.

On tour: After this year’s Ford Fest in Scarborough — byelection territory — the PCs decided to take the summer barbecues on the road, hitting up Kitchener-Waterloo (also byelection territory), Windsor and London.

Word on the street is London’s August 20 bash was cancelled, for now, because of a conflict with another big local event: Muslim Fest, which goes down at the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario…