From face paint to rides, food and games, there's plenty to enjoy at the Midway this week. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Summer fun

Battlefords Ag. Society kicks off summer celebration with rides, games and fair food

Aug 19, 2021 | 5:59 PM

The Battlefords Agricultural Society kicked off the opening of their summer Midway celebration Thursday in North Battleford.

The Ag. Society’s summer festivities feature a Midway of rides, games, and fair food provided by Wild Rose Shows, which will run Aug. 19-21 in the community.

And while many of the usual festivities remain from the traditional fair celebration, this year will not include any entertainment or shows, making admission to the midway free (with ticket purchase required for ride use).

However, despite the minimized setup, general manager, Jocelyn Ritchie said while things may be a bit smaller than previous years, it hasn’t dampened the excitement surrounding the event whatsoever through opening day.

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“Everyone’s started to come in and it looks awesome,” she said. “I’ve [seen] lots of kids enjoying the rides and lots of families just enjoying being out and able to do something.”

Reflecting that excitement was a tremendous turnout for presale tickets. Prior to opening their gates Thursday afternoon, the Ag. Society had already sold 5,000 presale ride bracelets.

“The presales have been unbelievable,” Ritchie remarked. “I had to keep calling [the ride supplier] Wild Rose asking for more tickets, so that’s been awesome to see our community’s support on that as well.”

Families, friends and people of all ages gathered at the midway opening day, Thursday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

After last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic, Ritchie said it’s been something special to see the steadfast community support return as strong as ever this year. Ritchie added the dedication of unwavering sponsors, and the many people making their way through the gates to enjoy the festivities have been great to see.

“It’s absolutely amazing; not just all our patrons who are coming out, but also all of our sponsors who have stood by our side,” Ritchie said. “We were closed for about 16 months, so this is just amazing. We’re happy to bring what we could, and we’re hoping to be back to full-scale next year.”

In addition to the rides and local food vendors, there is also a vaccine clinic on-site for those interested this year.

More fair fun in North Battleford, Thursday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

The midway will be open from noon to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to midnight Saturday.

To learn more about this year’s Midway festivities, visit the Battlefords Ag. Society website, or contact the Ag. Society at (306) 445-2024.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1