(Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Northwest Territorial Days fair underway

Aug 18, 2022 | 7:00 AM

The Battlefords annual fair kicked off with prime summer weather on Wednesday.

A slow build of patrons grew throughout the afternoon and evening at the Battlefords Ag Society for Northwest Territorial Days. The Midway of rides, food and games is on display for the next two days, along with other business and food venders and featured entertainment.

General Manager Jocelyn Ritchie said it’s taken many hours of volunteer work to get the fair running again, but they‘ve been able to manage.

“There’s always a lot of hiccups early, but we’re excited to have people come out and see what we have to offer,” she said. “We’ve been here for 137 years, COVID did put a wrinkle in things, but we’re back in full force and hoping to see everyone for [another] 137 years.”

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Chariot racing is back, though it was delayed an hour on Wednesday. However, Ritchie said the schedule is back on track for the next two days, with chariots at 3:00 p.m. and pony chuckwagons at 6:30 p.m.

“We have around 20 drivers, and even more in the chariots, so it’s going to be a good show,” she said.

Last year, there was a midway and horseshow, but other festivities weren’t held because of provincial COVID-19 restrictions. Ritchie said it was nice to be back closer to normal and host more entertainment, while there are still precautions available.

“We still have hand sanitizer and people can choose to wear masks,” she said. “We hope everyone respects each other’s decision.”

Among the additional features for the fair, which includes a petting zoo, hula hoop circus, science/magic show and acrobatic diving show, Ritchie said they’re excited to host Extreme Dogs. This traveling performance of canines features traditional obstacle courses, pool dives and more.

“They competed on America’s Got Talent, they do all kinds of different acts,” she said. “We also have Saskatchewan Express, who we’ve had, but not in a few years.”

Vendors are down in 2022, which Ritchie said is a provincial trend. Many business owners have less staffing since the start of the pandemic and having enough stock is an even larger struggle.

“Supplies are a really big issue still,” Ritchie said. “And with the pricing of everything, some can’t afford to travel as far as they used to.”

The primary feature remains having West Coast Amusement back to host the Midway. Ritchie recommended patrons check out a new ride for this year called ‘Rockstar’.

“I haven’t been able to go on it yet, but everyone should try it, it looks thrilling.”

A full list of events, schedules and more is available online.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW