WESTLOCK – After two long years, Busby area residents celebrated the return of Farmers Day.
The June 10-12 annual event welcomed hundreds for family fun that included a parade, kids activities, a slo-pitch tournament, farmers’ market, food trucks and concession stands.
“It’s exciting for the community to get together and see each other again. It’s our kickoff for the summer,” said Busby Community League president Jennifer Stoby. “We get about 500 to 600 people come out every year. We hosted a community dinner in April and the turnout was amazing — I think everybody was just so happy to see each other and I think Farmers Day is the same.”
The springtime tradition has been held in Busby for several years, first starting out as a picnic for farmers after spring seeding.
“It’s now morphed into a ball tournament and all the other events,” said Stoby, noting the crowds from across the Edmonton region. “We have lots of people that used to live in the community and maybe moved away and they come back. It’s a great way for them to see old neighbours and friends.”
Saturday kicked off with a breakfast at the Busby Community Hall, followed by a parade and other activities. “We also had a raffle as well to try and raise some funds for the community,” said Stoby. “Usually our parade is quite well attended with floats and people who are watching from the sidelines.”
Money raised from the raffle will go into the Busby Community League for Farmers Day and other community events throughout the year, noted Stoby.
One of the many families in attendance was Nancy Cornelius and her two grandchildren, Zoe and Jayden, from the Villeneuve area, who attended for the first time.
“I’ve driven through Busby so many times and I just think it’s the cutest little town,” said Cornelius, who was watching the parade with her grandkids.
She, like many other Albertans are thrilled to see events like Farmers Day 2022 return after being shut down in the past 24 months.
“We’ve really missed (events). I like to hit the small towns in summer — I look every weekend to see what’s on and take the grandkids there,” said Cornelius. “It’s so great to see the community come together. We are definitely going to have some fun.”
