The 99th edition of the Westlock and District Agricultural Fair was a success.
“I think it went very well,” said Westlock and District Agricultural Society president Bob Jones.
Despite a little bit of rain during the parade and at the tail end of the demolition derby, Jones said the weather lured people out to Mountie Park and the Ag grounds.
“The weatherman co-operated with us; that’s the No. 1 thing,” he said.
Large crowds flooded into Mountie Park and the Ag grounds, and the parade turnout was “huge,” Jones said. Overall, it was just a continuation of the success the fair has had over the years.
“It just seems to grow a little bit every year,” he said.
Some of the things that stood out during this year’s fair included Wabash Mfg.’s parade entry, which had just about every employee walking along the route, decked out in the same outfit. Jones said it was something that was different from the other entries, and very much appreciated.
Another stand out was the hall exhibits, which looked a lot healthier this year.
“This year with all the moisture and that, the hall exhibits were really, really nice,” he said. “We had some really nice vegetables and flowers and that because of the rain. It really showed in the quality of the exhibits.”
Looking forward to the 2014 fair, which will be the celebration’s centennial, Jones said he’s not giving any hints about the special events or special guests the Ag Society plans to bring in.
Instead, he would only say that the idea for next year is to take a retrospective look at the last 100 years, giving special attention to photos of the past and all sorts of related antiques.
“We would like to go, sort of back to the beginning and then work right up to today,” he said.
One way of doing that is coming from photo committee director Vince Roska, whom Jones said is hoping to put together a big display of photos chronicling the last 100 years.
While the fair has 99 years of momentum on its side to keep it rolling, Jones said it would not be nearly as successful if it weren’t for countless volunteers who lent a helping hand to make sure things run smoothly.
“I certainly appreciate all of the volunteers we get every year to put that fair on, because as president I certainly couldn’t do it without them,” he said.
