Summer Fair: Many changes since 1882

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This article was published 07/06/2011 (5482 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba Summer Fair will start off with a bang on Wednesday night — with its annual kickoff firework display.

Visitors can expect some other staples to return this summer, like midway rides, carnival games, fair food and the Saturday morning parade. But organizers say the fair has changed immensely since it started as a livestock competition in 1882.

Provincial Exhibition general manager Karen Oliver says the Summer Fair has strayed from its agricultural roots over the years and developed a focus on entertainment.

Most agricultural competitions take place at other events like the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and the Manitoba Livestock Expo. Nevertheless, some elements from the farm will still be around. The Kid Zone teaches how food is grown and sold, and horse shows will return this year. Oliver says the approximately 100,000 people who come each year still care about those aspects.

"Ag is at the heart of everything we do here," she said.

This year’s fair includes long list of new acts and displays. Oliver says the new additions have made for a special lineup.

"It’s always a challenge to do something new, and I think we’ve really outdone ourselves," she said.

The activity begins with a pancake breakfast on Wednesday morning served inside Display Building No. 2, the Dome Building built nearly a century ago that is undergoing restoration. The provincial and national heritage building received millions in private and public funding since 2009 after it spent years stagnating, sometimes as "cold storage" for the exhibition.

"The Dome Building has been a part of fairs for nearly 100 years," Oliver said. "We’re going to give it a second life now."

This fair will also feature an aboriginal showcase with cultural games, storytellers, artists and more. It was developed by students from the aboriginal community development program at ACC, and Oliver says it adds an impressive flavour to the fair.

The Spirit of All Nations displays and performers represent a variety of different groups and traditions in aboriginal culture.

Fair food isn’t the only fare on the grounds this year. Gourmands can take a bite of the Manitoba meals and wine samples prepared by chefs in the UCT Hall. Recipes and schedules for the meals can be found at brandonfairs.com.

The Aussie Kingdom show features a troupe of animals from the Australian outback in three shows per day. Audience members can check out exotic kangaroos, wallabies and other indigenous Aussie animals up close.

The fair will wind down with a rock musical performance by Abbamania, the group that played to a sold out show at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium earlier this year.

Oliver says while there are many new acts at the fair, old favourites like the demolition derby, freestyle motocross shows, miniature and quarterhorse events will all make a return trip this year.

The 56th Travellers’ Day Parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday at the corner of Sixth Street and Rosser Avenue. The parade will travel west to 13th Street. From there, the floats and bands will move south to College Avenue, and east to 10th Street. From 10th and College, it will run south to Queens Avenue.