With spring arriving it's a time of new choices for everyone.
And local citizens had an excellent opportunity on March 7 to choose from local social service, sports, music, recreation and culture programs that will be available in town for spring and summer.
The annual Spring Registration event attracted 25 vendors from the town and the surrounding area. They set up booths and provided information for citizens, many of whom were eager to register themselves or children. Due to increasing public interest the evening event was moved from its traditional venue inside the Community Room at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre to the gymnasium at Innisfail Middle School.
"You can bring in more vendors. People have more of an opportunity to stop and actually talk to vendors. It provides a lot more opportunity to be interactive," said Kane Williams, the town's recreation program coordinator who organized the event. "The goal is to show what is going on in Innisfail during the spring and summertime, and to get people registered in programs and to get them excited about what is going on."
Although Spring Registration attracts less vendors and citizens than the Fall Registration event, Williams pointed out citizens still had a healthy choice of programs and activities to register in, from yoga to minor soccer and baseball to music, and a variety of social service programs.
Kacy Wilson, secretary of Springbrook's Nuclear Free Roller Derby, said Spring Registration helps her business, which already has a committed junior and adult following, bring in more people who may want to try a recreation and sport that is a little bit different.
"We always get their email. We send more info and it helps our league grow. We always gain numbers from this event," said Wilson. "We are here to answer all the questions. It's a nice grouping, a nice environment."
Sharon Keeling, owner of the Innisfail Early Learning Centre, said Spring Registration is a "phenomenal" opportunity for small businesses and services to become involved in community projects like the March 7 event and spread the word of "who and where" each of them are.
Williams said this year's two-and-a-half-hour-long Spring Registration event attracted up to 350 citizens, which was a great opportunity for vendors to spread their message.
"They can register over 100 people just in the course of an evening," said Williams. "It was really awesome to see so much of Innisfail come out, a lot of families asking questions."
If any citizen or family wants to get specific contact information on the Spring Registration vendors they may have missed on March 7 they can contact Williams at the town office at 403-227-3376.
Kane Williams, the town's recreation program coordinator
"The goal is to show what is going on in Innisfail during the spring and summertime, and to get people registered in programs and to get them excited about what is going on."
