The annual Chestermere Country Fair, hosted by the Chestermere Agriculture Society, was held at the Chestermere Recreation Centre this past Saturday. This year they were celebrating the 25th anniversary of the fair – congratulations to the Chestermere Agriculture Society for making it to twenty-five years!
The days’ festivities began with the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast and the parade, which began at the Middle School and trundled down West Chestermere Drive to the Rec. Centre, so if you were sleeping in late Saturday morning and woke to the bracing harmonies of the bagpipes, this is why.
Floats of all shapes, sizes, and description, including the promised fire truck (although not travelling on its own steam, it was still in the parade), motored down the road, tossing their sugary prizes to the outstretched hands of the children lining the street. Everyone was keeping a wary eye on the sky though; the weather man hadn’t predicted precipitation but the dark clouds loomed with ominous portent.
As soon as the parade vehicles had filed into the Rec. Centre parking lot, the traffic jam began as each driver vied for prime parking spaces. Fortunately there were volunteers on hand to direct the traffic so there were no incidents or injuries.
Next, we direct our attention to the Rec. Centre itself. Inside the curling rink was set up the Red Ribbon competition where everyone was able to wander between the tables and view the entries in the categories of baking, jams, jellies & preserves, pickles, sauces, eggs & honey, flowers, vegetables, herbs & fruit, handicrafts, photography, art, wine & beer, and child & youth, and see who placed first, second, third, and sometimes fourth. There was also the bee keeping display on the side of the curling rink; you could see into the bee hive and even find the queen honey bee with the green dot on her head for quick and easy identification.
The Rabbit Hopping Association of Canada as well as the Zucchini Car Races were holding their events toward the back of the curling rink. If you enjoyed the rabbit races on Canada Day then I bet you enjoyed it on Saturday too.
The STARS pie auction, which was also held in the curling rink, raised over $3000. How many times do you get to tell your friends and family that you’re eating a $100 pie?!
In the main hall of the Rec. Centre were the vendors who were selling or simply displaying their wares. And I hope at least some of you took a moment or two to investigate the beautifully sewn quilts up on the stage.
On the other side of the building was the “Celebrate the History of Chestermere” exhibit, which was directly next to the Whitecappers Country Kitchen where they were serving coffee, pie, and ice cream. The rest of the munchies and more healthy produce were being sold from vendors outside the Rec. Centre.
The North Side Kid Zone had an entertainment stage, family games & activities, a mini golf course held by RBC, balloon animals by The Magic Studio, bouncy houses, a batting cage, a climbing wall, a comfort station, pony rides, and the MosArk Petting Zoo. Sadly, due to health concerns, this is MosArk’s last year of taking part in the country fair; we are sad to see them go.
Something that was happening on the North Side that was not mentioned in the country fair activities list was the expert Border Collie herding of the three ducks around the field and between the visitors. It was a fun surprise for everyone who suddenly found a duck underfoot.
The South Side Fun Zone had the CIBC Scarecrow contest, the world’s longest hockey game dunk tank, the country fair slo pitch tournament, and hayrides.
Overall, this year’s country fair was a rousing success! Everyone had fun and the sun did eventually make a steady appearance. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making this a wonderful, fun and family filled experience for all! We look forward to seeing you again next year.
