Summer fair forecasting 100% chance of fun

Local Ukrainian and Salvadoran dancers are performing at the Manitoba Summer Fair for the first time this year, with the fair’s five-day festivities kicking off tomorrow.

The Salvadoran dance group referred to as Shipaki, which translates to “be happy and have fun” in the Nahuatl language, will perform at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Manitoba Room, followed by dancers from Brandon Troyanda School of Ukrainian Dance at 4:30 p.m.

“We are very excited,” said Jackie Muñoz, president of Directiva Cuscatlecos en Brandon.

“Our vision is to represent El Salvador by sharing our culture through traditional dances, authentic outfits, food and music. This is a way to celebrate our heritage, educate others about our traditions and keep our culture alive even when we are far from home.”

About 15 dancers will perform four or five songs in total that represent their country and have a carnival theme, Muñoz said. Each song will be performed in a different outfit that co-ordinates with its meaning.

“We want to start to build on the cultural theme, so that’s one of our initiatives on a go-forward basis,” said Tim Rowan, co-chair of the Manitoba Summer Fair and president of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba.

The fair runs from Wednesday to Sunday at the Keystone Centre grounds in Brandon and will feature live entertainment from Bella Magic, hypnotist Wayne Lee, Doodles the Clown, Spandy Andy and Magician & The Muse.

In the evenings, the Dome Building is transformed into a summer saloon, showcasing music, entertainment and dancing. This year’s lineup includes Highway 25 Repaved, Vintage Voltage, Just Dynamite, 8 Track Shuffle, Matt Cory and DJ Dirtybird.

North American Midway Entertainment is debuting two new rides at the fair this year — Downdraft and Super Miami, Rowan said. Fan favourites like Mach 3, Swing Tower, Mega Drop and Scooter are returning this year among 19 total Majorland rides.

Fairgoers can enjoy 17 midway rides in Kiddieland, including the Dragon Coaster, Merry Go Round, Speedway and the Tea Cups.

The fair also features equestrian events such as horse jumping and heavy horse shows, which draw in dozens of competitors, Rowan said.

In the past, fireworks have been set off on the first night of the fair, but now Brandonites can watch the sky light up with vibrant colours on Friday at dusk.

“We did make that change a couple years ago because we felt that we would get better attendance coming out to watch the fireworks if it wasn’t a school night,” Rowan said.

In typical fair-week fashion, Environment and Climate Change Canada said the forecasted weather includes a 60 per cent chance of rain on the opening day with a mix of sun and cloud for the remainder of the week.

“There’s a chance of rain, but I’m going to tell you right now, there’s 100 per cent chance of fun,” Rowan said.

“People need to get out and have some fun, and this is the start of summer.”

Last year, the fair was on pace to set a new attendance record until rain and wind swooshed in on the weekend, bringing less people out on the final two days, he said.

The fair expects to see approximately 40,000 people this week and has already surpassed last year’s pre-sale ticket purchases, Rowan said.

The number of attendees has steadily increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding that there’s been a trend in people wanting to spend their money locally as opposed to travelling south across the border for family trips.

“We’ve raised our price minimally over the last six years when it comes to the summer fair. We’ve tried to keep it as affordable as we can and have great entertainment,” Rowan said.

The cost of fuel is also a “big concern” and plays a role in people choosing to support local events, he said.

“It’s definitely making a difference, and I know that people are trying to look for, you know, any dollar that they can save in their pocket.”

Providing a safe environment at the fair continues to be a priority following last year’s introduction of six metal detectors and wands at the entrances, he said.

“It does identify keys versus, you know, a knife or a weapon or something like that, which has really cut down anything coming into the fair, and it’s made our lineups go much more smoothly,” Rowan said.

Members of the Brandon Police Service, Bluejay Guard Security and Waywayseecappo First Nation safety officers will be on site.

“We had zero incidents last year,” he said.

“Nothing major to speak of, but that just speaks to the increased security and the scanning, making sure that we’re keeping the bad guys out of the fair and letting the families in.”

The two main gates will open at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 2 p.m. on Friday and at noon on the weekend.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com