First Whest City Fall Festival deemed a success

The inaugural Wheat City Fall Festival has been declared a success by organizers, with thousands of people passing through the Keystone Centre gates during the two-day event.

The festival, which wrapped up Sunday, achieved its main goal of showcasing local businesses, entertainment and community organizations while giving residents another reason to stay and spend in Brandon, Keystone Centre chief executive officer Connie Lawrence said.

“Wheat City Fall Festival is a success,” Lawrence told the Sun. “I think we can make some positive changes for next year, but I’m very happy so far with what we could offer.”

The festival featured food trucks, live music, a midway operated by Select Shows and other activities, with organizers initially hoping to attract about 2,000 people each day.

Lawrence said the event was also designed to give back to the community, with a portion of proceeds going to Westman Dreams for Kids.

Sponsors included Westman Dreams for Kids, Look Music, Assiniboine Credit Union and Pepsi, while local food vendors helped bring the festival together.

“We wanted to showcase that we have a lot to offer in our little city,” Lawrence said. “We wanted to show the support to Brandon and to Westman.”

The festival provides an opportunity for Westman Dreams for Kids to raise money while increasing awareness of its work, Jackie Wells, a member of the Westman Dreams for Kids board of directors, said.

Westman Dreams for Kids supports families with children who face serious illnesses by helping make their individual dreams possible.

Wells said board members meet with referred families and ask them to identify three things that would represent a dream for their child. The support can range from family trips to specialized equipment, such as a bike for a child who uses a wheelchair.

“We use the funds that we raise through different charity events and donations and fundraising events to help us support the dreams that we send the children on,” Wells told the Sun.

The festival was a success, despite weather affecting attendance during part of the weekend, Select Shows president Jim Mills said.

Friday’s weather was poor, Mills said, but conditions improved and crowds continued to arrive.

“It’s a success. It could only get better,” Mills said.

Mills said the festival provides a fall opportunity for Select Shows after the end of the traditional summer fair season. The company brought rides and equipment to Brandon from its base northeast of Winnipeg.

However, rising operating costs remain a challenge for the midway business.

Mills said fuel alone represents a significant expense, noting the company’s generators can consume about 3,000 litres of fuel for an event, while its weekly payroll is about $50,000.

He said Select Shows will consider adding equipment in future years depending on attendance and public demand, while balancing the additional operating costs.

Lawrence said the Keystone Centre plans to build on the first festival rather than simply repeat it.

She said organizers want to begin planning earlier, bring more people into the process and strengthen the food truck component.

“Last minute never ever works for anybody,” Lawrence said.

She credited local partners for contributing to the event’s community focus.

For Lawrence, the festival’s first year was ultimately about demonstrating what Brandon and Westman can offer locally.

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