Barrhead Blue Heron Fair Days quickly approaching

BARRHEAD -  Blue Heron Fair Days will have a little something for everyone.

That is what Blue Heron Fair Days committee chair Roseanne Bain told the Barrhead Leader three weeks before the two-day event on Aug. 10 and 11.

Bain takes over as fair chair for long-time organizer Brenda Visser, who stepped away from the role following last year's fair days.

But, she said, the proof is in the pudding, noting that in the end, it will be up to fairgoers to decide whether they have been successful.

Daily passes for the fair are $20 for adults (17 and older), $10 (youths six to 16) and children five and under are free. Two-day passes are $30 and $15. Tickets are available at the gate, and for the first time, Interact and credit card payment options are available. Fairgoers can also pay online via Showpass.com.

Festivities officially begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday in the ag barn with a horse show.

An hour later, the parade starts at 10 a.m. in Barrhead's downtown area. The theme of the parade is "Celebrating Barrhead's Great Outdoors".

However, most activities will start at noon at the fairgrounds for both Saturday and Sunday with the inflatable village, face painters and balloon artists, and the escape room will open. 

A new feature for this year, also starting at 1 p.m., is a mechanical bull ride.

"You must be at least four feet tall to ride, and people under 18 will need a parent or guardian's consent," Bain said.

The children's activities will also start at 1 p.m. in the Bablitz Exhibition Hall. Although Bain did not know all the details, for the second straight year, they would be headed by Puddle of Mud Productions, a theatre-dance company.

The Wildrose Rodeo Association rodeo will begin at 1 p.m., starting with a performance by Stony Plain-based trick rider Keely Sutherland before transitioning to the rodeo competition in earnest.

After the rodeo performances, Wiesinger Music will perform a concert featuring three area artists.

Dan Schaffer will dazzle the crowd following the concert with his snowmobile freestyle stunt show.

Saturday evening, starting at 9:30 p.m., there will be a cabaret county crooner Tommy Charles.

On Sunday, Bain said the schedule and attractions would remain mostly the same, except that the slack or overflow rodeo will replace the horse show starting at 8 a.m., there is no cabaret, and there will be a barrel jackpot in the ag barn beginning at 11, and that a commercial vendor marketplace will replace the Puddle of Mud children's activities in Bablitz Exhibition Hall.

She added that the fair committee also worked hard to ensure that fairgoers had a wide variety of food and beverages to choose from.

In addition to the Ag Society's indoor concession offering the traditional hamburger and hotdog-type fare run by Barb Almost, there will be a lemonade stand, El Quetzalito Food Truck serving Latin cuisine, Macks Snak Shack, and Bailey's Vintage Ice Cream.

Also running in conjunction with the fair is a slow-pitch tournament at the Barrhead Sportsgrounds on Saturday and Sunday.

"We don't have a lot of space, but we did our best to make sure there was something for every age group and that everyone who comes to the fair has a good time," Bain said.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com