The 33rd Annual Pine Lake Country Fair & Sports Days, sponsored by the Crossroads Agricultural Society, was held Aug. 9 - 11 at Crossroads Ag Park in Pine Lake. This old-fashioned fun event was held under cloudy skies and misty weather, but everything ran off perfectly.
The weekend kicked off with a Merle Haggard tribute dinner show. A delicious Alberta beef dinner, prepared by Devine Catering was followed by the songs and stories of Merle Haggard as performed by Danny Ford and narrated by his wife Bonnie.
The fair theme for 2019 was Salute to Oil & Gas. An incredible number of fair exhibits (nearly 700) were judged Saturday morning and beautifully displayed in the west wing throughout the weekend.
The 2019 Grand Aggregate winner of the fair exhibits was Gwen Renouf of Elnora.
Section aggregate winners were: Grains & Grasses - Earl Dreeshen; Preserves - Jennifer Renouf; Baking - Betty Lippert; Needlecrafts - Margaret Rehman; Handcrafts - Leanne Murray; Art & Calligraphy - Lynne Kadar; Photography - Teresa Diegel and George Rehman; Flowers, Vegetables, & Fruits - Gwen Renouf; Special Cup & Saucer Award - Lynne Kadar; Golden Age - Lynne Kadar; Pee Wee (Pre-School) - Serena Buyks; Junior A (12 & Under) - Caitlyn Murray and Junior B (17 & Under) - Issac Renouf.
There were many special events at this year’s fair that provided a fun family weekend for all ages.
Children’s entertainment on Saturday afternoon featured animal balloon making by Tim Forsberg, much to the delight of the many children in attendance.
Kiddies races featured old-fashioned sack races, partner races, 3-legged races, dashes, and long-distance runs for ages 2 to 17.
Kiddies scavenger hunt featured children roaming the nature trails of Crossroads Ag Park looking for their clues and treasures, as outlined by organizer Megan Buyks.
A pancake breakfast was served to more than 125 people on Sunday morning and featured the grilling talents of Earl Dreeshen, MP for Red Deer – Mountain View, and Innisfail – Sylvan Lake MP Devin Dreeshen, who is Alberta's minister of Agriculture and Forestry.
Sunday tea followed the exhibit awards presentations and paid tribute to the many exhibitors and participants.
Sporting events were organized by Sports Coordinator Bonnie Langevin, and were very well attended again this year.
The winners of the poker walk through the three kilometres of beautiful nature trails were Greg April from Red Deer in first place, Kristi Gudiel from Springbrook in second place and TJ Robinson from Rocky Mountain House in third place.
The Doubles Bean Bag Tournament A Event was won by Jan Halverson and Corrie Steinback (Red Deer). Runners-up were Debbie Desnoyer and Bonnie Langevin (Pine Lake).
Doubles Cribbage Tournament winners were Teresa Diegel and Mark Lawrence (Pine Lake). The Lydia Moore Memorial Trophy, dedicated in memory of area pioneer and longtime fair volunteer and cribbage enthusiast, Lydia Moore, was presented by Bonnie (Moore) Langevin, Judy (Moore) Dreeshen, and Charlie Moore. Runners-up were Jack Bowie and Danny Bowie (Ponoka).
Men’s Doubles Horseshoe Tournament A Event winners were Danny Langevin and Earl Dreeshen (Pine Lake). Runners-up were Lee Girard and Devin Dreeshen.
Ladies’ Doubles Horseshoe Tournament A Event winners were Bonnie Langevin and Sadie Girard. Runners-up were Megan Buyks and Judy Dreeshen.
The Mixed Slow Pitch Tournament was organized by Valerie Domoney and featured 12 family and community teams competing. The A Event gold medallion winner was the Got the Runs team (Innisfail) with runners-up the Nemesis team (Innisfail). The B Event was won by Hustlas (Medicine Hat), with runners-up, Injured List (Red Deer). The C Event was won by Green Sox (Red Deer) with runners-up Y-Nots (Calgary).
Organizers thank all of the many sponsors and volunteers for their efforts in bringing this great community event with free admission to the grounds.
Everyone is cordially invited to attend the 34th Annual Pine Lake Country Fair & Sports Days, on the second weekend of August 2020. Be sure to check out the website at www.crossroadsagsociety.com and click on Fair Days for more information.
This article was written and submitted by Judy Dreeshen.
