SUNDRE — A wide variety of local talent of all ages ranging from artists and green thumbs to cooks and quilters were recently displayed for the whole community to see.
The 102nd Sundre School & Adult Fall Fair, sponsored by the Sundre & District Agricultural Society, was held on Friday, Sept. 9.
The fair featured components that offer youth and adolescents a chance to showcase their abilities through the school portion, as well as a community aspect for adults at the Sundre Curling Rink. Both Sundre High School and River Valley School featured displays exhibiting student work.
“Teachers save artwork, stories, penmanship – a variety of school-related materials – and they’re all put up on display in the elementary school gym,” said Karen Tubb, manager of the Sundre Municipal Library, which played a role promoting the event and helping with registration.
“It’s actually really stunning to see all the art work up around the walls of the gym – it’s very, very impressive,” she said.
Over at the curling rink, the community categories on display included but certainly weren’t limited to a range of entries from flowers and vegetables to handicrafts and baked goods, said Tubb.
“We have judges from around the province that come and do the judging,” she said.
While an organizing committee lines up all of the fair’s logistical details, many local businesses also donate prizes for the different categories, she said.
“And the schools of course are involved,” she added. “So, there’s a lot of community partnership happening.”
The fair’s return last year amid the uncertainty of lingering pandemic-related restrictions turned out better than anticipated under the difficult circumstances at the time, she said.
“We were pleasantly surprised last year,” she said.
A traditional element of the fall fair that organizers wanted to re-energize is the pet parade, which didn’t yield any entries last year. The pet parade is a fun opportunity for kindergarten and Grade 1 students to relish the chance to show off their favourite animal friend, she said.
“That can be anything from their puppy to their pet worm that they dug out of the garden that morning,” she said, adding prizes and ribbons are awarded following the parade.
There was also a livestock presentation.
“Kids can bring their rabbits, or their chickens, or lambs or goats, or they can bring their horses and do some riding,” she said. “That’s part of the fair as well.”
This year's pet parade and livestock presentation included some canine companions, a praying mantis in an insect carrier, as well as a steer called Kyzer and a couple of steeds.
At the curling rink, there were 56 people who submitted entries – 31 adults and 25 students – amounting to a total of 456 combined submissions, which broke down to 257 adult and 199 student entries.
