The bad news is we’re halfway through the summer. The good news? We’re smack dab in the middle of festival season.
Whether it’s concerts, car shows, community celebrations, fairs or fundraisers, there’s a lot going on in all corners of the county.
From Clyde’s Summer Solstice to Flatbush Rocks, Busby’s Farmers’ Days, the July 1-3 Homecoming Celebration and the upcoming grand-daddy of them all, the 102nd Westlock’s Agricultural Fair which runs Aug. 19-21, almost every community seems to have a summer hurrah — or in the case of Westlock two this year.
And after a long and hard winter, we should be enjoying the nice weather while we have it.
It’s always encouraging to see so many residents flock to these local events that hard-working volunteers spend countless hours to plan and set up.
This past weekend was Jarvie Days and it seemed like the entire population of the community lined main street to take in the parade.
And everyone remained on hand for the day of events, which included fun for the kids, a good ol’ fashioned horseshoe tournament and carriage rides. And who could forget the lawnmower races. It was just a good time all around.
And with a new focus on the youngsters, organizers seem to have built themselves a winner.
We’re not breaking news by saying that the populations of our rural communities continues to shrink — Jarvie and Fawcett can tell you all about losing their schools a few years back.
But the loss of a school doesn’t mean the death of a community.
These communities are still alive and well, and it’s just a matter of finding new ways to gather and connect and summer festivals play a big part.
It’s not only a chance for friends and neighbours to connect, but it becomes an opportunity for the community to celebrate.
Next time someone says rural Alberta is dying, ask them if they’ve been to the Thorhild Rodeo, the Blue Suede Festival in Busby, or Canada Day in Pickardville. From our vantage point rural Alberta isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving.
