Westoba Place goes to the dogs as fair opens with ‘a great start’

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This article was published 01/04/2025 (359 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dogs were the main attraction at Westoba Place on Monday as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair kicked off its first day.

Seats filled in the arena around two dog-related events, including a show featured for the first time at the fair — Dogs Do Magic.

Hundreds crowded into the amphitheatre for a host of tricks, as magician Aaron Matthews sliced a box into four pieces with a woman inside while guided by a dog, another dog barked the number that a volunteer had secretly chosen on a die, and yet another dog walked in a handstand.

“Best day ever! Best day ever!” shouted more than a hundred children in the crowd, directed by Matthews. “Best day ever!”

Provincial Exhibition president Clint Swain later told the Sun he was happy with the show’s first appearance. Organizers chose it to bring something new to the fair this year — a decision that has been well received by the crowd.

“From what I understand, you couldn’t even get a seat when that show was on,” said Swain. “It was a great start to Day 1, and we’re really looking forward to the week ahead of us.”

Later in the afternoon, the main arena filled around the Canine Circus event, also put on by Matthews. Children lined the perimeter of the stadium and chanted for their teams as dogs chased Frisbees, raced over hurdles and competed in high-jump.

The Dogs Do Magic show and Canine Circus are set to continue every day for the week.

As the week goes on, organizers are expecting a growing crowd. Another event expected to draw big crowds is the evening is the mounted-shooters show, scheduled for Wednesday through Saturday.

Manager of operations Kristen Laing Breemersch told the Sun early in March that the event, featuring horseback shooters firing at balloons, made an impression on her when she saw it in a different city.

“I thought it would be something that fit well with the evening program of the Winter Fair,” Laing Breemersch said.

Swain told the Sun it’s expected to be one of the big attractions — set for the evening program that begins at 7 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday.

Day 1 for the Winter Fair also included horse jumping, food and beverage stands, a gallery dedicated to the history of the fair and the brand-new educational Soil Superheroes exhibit. The 1,400-square-foot exhibit is dedicated to education in agriculture, such as displaying how different animals participate in food production.

The fair runs until Saturday.

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com