It’s fair time in Brandon!

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This article was published 04/06/2025 (295 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon’s summer fair starts today!

The two main gates open at 4 p.m. to let the crowds in for this year’s Manitoba Summer Fair, which runs until Sunday on the grounds of the Keystone Centre.

New safety measures await fairgoers as they come in, said Provincial Exhibition president Clint Swain.

“We have a new security team, and we bought six metal detectors and wands. Security is our No. 1 priority, and we’re looking forward to putting those to use,” Swain said.

“We’ll have two gates and six lines going this year. That’s up three from last year, so we don’t expect significant delays, but we ask for patience,” he said. “We are adding a family line, and we’ll still do full baggage checks, so we’ll try to get everyone through as quickly as we can.”

Once inside, rides like Pharoah’s Fury, Star Dancer and Ring of Fire await on the Majorland midway. In Kiddieland, the young ones have more than a dozen rides to choose from, including Tea Cups, Dragon Coaster and Raptor Run.

Placed in between the rides along the midway are the usual food vendors, but for the first time this year, the Dome Building will be transformed into a summer saloon, said Swain.

“The summer saloon used to be a highlight in the city when the summer fair was on, so we’re looking to slowly rebuild that. Thursday through Saturday we have nine live bands lined up — three each evening,” he said.

“It’s fully licensed, so every hour is happy hour at the summer saloon, $5 drinks, which will be a little bit of a breather from prices you’re used to paying elsewhere.”

The summer saloon may be for the big kids, but there are loads of entertainment options for kids of all ages.

Motorcycle trick riders will perform on the grounds all five days, and rides are available on monster trucks as well as a horse-drawn wagon. Arm wrestling is featured Saturday afternoon in the Dome Building.

Kids Zone is in the Manitoba Room and includes the petting zoo and non-stop performances with two circus shows, magicians and Doodles the Clown, who promised a show full of music, comedy and magic.

“This is going to be my 32nd year coming to Brandon,” Doodles said. “The only time I wasn’t here was when the pandemic shut things down.

“When I am travelling the U.S and to the Calgary Stampede and back to Toronto, I often talk about Brandon and why I love coming. Everybody at the fair makes me feel loved,” he said.

“And I want families to have fun so, I listen to people,” Doodles added. “They want to put their minds at ease and enjoy, so I’ve kept some of the laughs that people love but switch my music.

“I always ask children to help and sometimes I’ll pick a mom or dad, because I like to make it a family affair.”

The gates open Thursday at 4 p.m., Friday at 2 p.m. and at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.

During the last three evenings of the fair, magicians Sean Watson and Chanelle Munroe will bring their sleight of hand and grand illusions to the Kids Zone stage with their show Magician and the Muse. They also performed it two months ago during the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

“This is a fast-paced, high-energy, family-friendly Las Vegas illusion show for all ages,” said Watson.

“Our signature illusion is the metamorphosis, where Chanelle turns into me in the blink of an eye. And I make her completely vanish for our grand finale illusion.”

Munroe said she is the only female Métis magician in the world. She described her hula hoop routine as a fusion of dance, storytelling and illusion that speaks to reconciliation.

She also promised she would be “wowing” audiences when she swallows a string of razor blades.

“We are one of the only duo magic acts in the world where I, as the woman, am both the assistant — the muse — and the magician, so it’s something you’ve most likely never seen before,” Munroe said.

For the first time in “a number of years,” Swain said they’ve booked the Westoba Centre of Excellence and the outdoor show ring for horse shows.

“We have 80 jumping horses, which is absolutely phenomenal,” he said. “We also have four heavy horse hitches, and hackney horses, so a full array of horse shows going on, too.”

Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. is Westman Disability Day, a free event designed to ensure the fair is inclusive for everyone who wants to attend. The two-hour event caters to those who experience sensory or mobility issues and is streamlined to have limited lineups and minimal loud noises.

Swain said they are expecting 100 guests.

Fireworks are planned for Friday night, and the Travellers Day parade is Saturday morning. It starts at 11 a.m. on the corner of Sixth Street and Rosser Avenue and ends at the fair grounds.

Sunday morning at nine features Breakfast Under the Dome for $10, and in the afternoon there’s the Chrome in the Trees car show.

Swain said he hopes to put aside some time to enjoy the midway with his family.

“Being part of the leadership, I get the full spectrum of the fair,” he said. “And I couldn’t be happier to be able to take my kids.

“So, I try to put aside one evening for personal family time to take in the fair, just like every other Brandonite and all our visitors from around the Westman area.”

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