New attractions, familiar favourites draw crowds to Souris festival

SOURIS — Hundreds of visitors turned out for the 2026 Souris Peacock Days and Fair as organizers expanded the annual celebration with new attractions despite sweltering temperatures.

The multi-day festival, which began Friday and wrapped up Sunday, showcased the community spirit that has made the event a longstanding summer tradition

The event brought together agricultural competitions, family entertainment, vendors, food trucks and equestrian events, with organizers hoping to surpass last year’s estimated attendance of about 500 people. For the first time, officials used a gate clicker to accurately measure attendance.

Micheala Sigurdson, a director with the Souris and Glenwood Agricultural Society, said the fair was the result of months of collaboration among numerous volunteer groups and community organizations.

“The event is truly a community effort,” Sigurdson told the Sun. “The Agricultural Society oversees the agriculture-related events, such as the rodeo, while the Peacock Days committee manages the market and Kids Zone. We also partner with the Souris and Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department, the Souris Elks and many other volunteers who make the weekend possible.”

Friday’s festivities opened with the popular Stock Dog Shootout, where working dogs demonstrated their livestock-handling skills alongside their handlers. Saturday’s schedule featured barrel racing and pole bending jackpot competitions before the Crocus Cow Horse Association took over the riding arena for its show.

This year’s fair introduced several new attractions, including the Crocus Cow Horse Show and the barrel and pole jackpot racing events, both of which attracted strong spectator interest, she said.

“The riding arena events are always crowd favourites,” Sigurdson said. “People enjoy watching the barrel racing, and the new cow horse competition has also drawn a lot of attention.”

While attendance has remained steady, organizers acknowledged that extreme heat presented one of the biggest challenges throughout the weekend.

“The weather has definitely been our biggest concern,” Sigurdson said. “When you’re working with livestock, it’s important to make sure the animals have plenty of water, adequate breaks and protection from the heat. We’ve also been encouraging visitors to stay hydrated and take breaks indoors.”

Another ongoing challenge is recruiting enough volunteers to help with parking, admissions and information booths.

“Both committees rely entirely on volunteers,” she said. “Finding enough people willing to donate their time can sometimes be difficult.”

Among the competition winners was Evelin Burns, who, along with teammates Harper Holland and Delana, captured first place in the team grooming competition after preparing and presenting their calf for judging.

“I was really happy with how my calf performed and how everything came together,” said Burns, who was also expected to compete in several additional classes before the weekend was over.

The fair also welcomed several businesses participating for the first time.

Veronika Plis, who helps operate the Happy Clover food truck, said the festival has exceeded expectations despite being their debut appearance.

Originally from Ukraine, Plis and her family settled in Neepewa four years ago after fleeing the war.

“People didn’t really know who we were at first because it’s our first time here,” she said. “But we’ve been busy all day, and the organizers have been incredibly helpful.”

She said the extreme heat created an unexpected demand for cold beverages.

“We’ll definitely bring more ice next year,” Plis laughed. “Everyone wants lemonade, water and lots of ice.”

Local artisan Nicole Kiefer, owner of Nicole Kiefer Design, also returned to Peacock Days after exhibiting several years ago.

Kiefer, whose handcrafted products include keepsake boxes, engraved wallets, cutting boards, resin creations and custom urns, said this year’s conditions were far easier than her previous visit.

“The last time I was here, the wind almost carried my tent away,” she said. “I’d much rather deal with the heat than the wind.”

She plans to return next year with an even larger inventory, particularly engraved wallets, which proved popular with customers.

Among the visitors was Rushana Davy, who attended Peacock Days after previously visiting the festival about two years ago.

While she praised the event as an enjoyable way for families to spend time outdoors during the summer, she felt this year’s celebration seemed smaller than she remembered.

“I was expecting a bit more,” Davy said. “The last time there seemed to be more children’s activities, a larger market and rides for kids.”

She encouraged organizers to consider bringing back attractions such as tractor rides and expanded children’s programming, saying those activities made the festival especially memorable for families.

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