Summer fair returning to Brandon
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/06/2022 (1326 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Keystone Centre will be coming alive next week with the sights and sounds of the Manitoba Summer Fair.
The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba crew is excited to be back for the first summer fair since 2019, said Michele McDougall, the marketing and communications co-ordinator.
The Manitoba Summer Fair will take place June 8 to 12.
“People are walking on air over here because everything is falling into place and we are hitting the ground running,” McDougall said. “We’re very happy that it is a go.”
The Manitoba Summer Fair has been a beloved event in western Manitoba for more than 135 years. The fair features entertainment, midway rides, entertainment stages, a special KidZone, an agriculture awareness area, horse showcases and trade show vendors.
Longtime Provincial Ex partner North American Midway Entertainment will arrive in the Wheat City in a few days to set up for the official opening of the fair on Wednesday. The first night will end with a special fireworks presentation by Arch Angel out of Winnipeg.
The 2022 midway will feature two new attractions this year, but the rides are not for the faint of heart.
The adult ride “The Star Dancer” features a giant arm that reaches up into the sky. On the end of the arm are four coaches that seat four people and turn, flip, and move upside down to scramble riders’ senses.
“It’s a riot,” McDougall said.
The new children’s ride, called “The Raptor Run,” rises a little off the ground with four back-to-back seats twisting and turning while moving backwards, forwards, up and down.
The midway will include more than two dozen adult rides in Major Land and about 20 youth rides. Games and food trucks will also be on site.
A new feature of the 2022 summer fair will be the Market at the Dome involving about 20 vendors on Saturday and Sunday. McDougall described it as a craft show offering homemade, one-of-a-kind pieces paired with over-the-counter items.
The summer fair serves as an opportunity to show off the Dome Building to the public, McDougall said, as it has been a major restoration project undertaken by the Provincial Ex.
“It’s so beautiful and we’re so excited. We love showing off the Dome,” McDougall said.
A full set of entertainment has been enlisted for all five days of the show.
A highlight of the fair is The Hockey Circus Show, which combines juggling, acrobatics and hockey. The one-man show features the performer juggling flaming hockey sticks while wearing skates and standing on top of a goalie net.
Other performers include summer fair icon Doodles the Clown, the two-woman acrobatic team The Silver Starlets, and Aaron Matthews Magic.
Libations will be flowing in the summer fair beer garden, which will feature two special trivia nights Wednesday and Thursday. There will be live rock music Friday and country on Saturday.
“[The trivia nights are] a returning crowd favourite back by popular demand,” McDougall said.
A petting zoo will be open throughout the fair. Wagon rides will be available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The fair will be hosting a day of stress-free experience for those who have limited abilities, and a seniors tea and dance Thursday.
The Brandon Travellers’ Day parade takes place Saturday morning, wrapping up at the fairgrounds in the curling rink. The parade begins at 11 a.m. at the corner of Sixth Street and Rosser Avenue. For more than 60 years, the Brandon Travellers’ Day Parade has been rolling down the streets of Brandon, featuring local marching Bands, floats and community groups.
Some events, including the demolition derby, barrel racing and heavy horse show, have been cancelled due to a shortage of participants.
“There’s no question that the cool, wet weather and the lasting effect of the pandemic were not in our favour. It was too tight of a window for many of our drivers to prepare. We know that the Demo Derby is a crowd favourite and that is one of the reasons why we promise it will be back,” committee chair Connie Bok said in a press release about the cancellations.
Advanced tickets to the summer fair are available for $43 and include the cost of gate admission and unlimited rides. Included in the advanced ticket sales are free passes for kids under 12. Advance ticket sales are in effect until 4 p.m. June 8.
Ticket pricing at the fairgrounds is $42 plus $12 gate admission, which includes a $1 Keystone Centre improvement fee.
Tickets can be purchased online through authentigate.ca.
» ckemp@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp