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Kootenay Country Fair Sept. 10 at the fort
Do you have a passion for knitting? Have you taken up the lost art of tatting? Do you scrapbook? Are you into photography? Is your needlework your pride and joy? Are you ready to share the family recipe for huckleberry jam and the location of the family huckleberry patch? Just kidding. About the recipe.
Can you create amazing things with reuse or recycle items? Do you make the best flower arrangements on your block with your own flowers from your garden? Are you ready to display your works for the community to embrace? The best place to do this is at the Kootenay Country Fair.
Sunday, September 10 the 40th annual Kootenay Country Fair will welcome fair-goers and presenters alike at Fort Steele Heritage Town starting at 9 a.m. and ending with the auction at 430 p.m.
Calling all to enter your produce, cut flowers, baking, preserves, relish, jam, jelly, butter, eggs, beer/wine, needlework, crafts, quilting, art, photography and reduce/reuse/recycle creations all of which can be judged for placement or entered in the auction at the end of the day.
You could receive a ribbon for first, second and third place for your entry. To be judged, entries must be received by 5 p.m., Tuesday, September 5 and can be dropped off at Top Crop Garden and Pet Cranbrook, Cranbrook Photo on Baker Street and Top Crop Too Kimberley. Late entries will not be judged but are welcome.
Remember the family dog show open to all ages with prizes for first and second in the classes of smallest dog, biggest dog, best dog trick, most unique dog and best-dressed dog and owner.
Parents, if you are proud of the artwork, knitting or Lego your child produces then enter that item in the fair under the category of Junior Crafts and Needlework.
Kids, do your parents like to bake or sew? You can suggest they enter the category of Adult Home Baking or Adult Needlework, Crafts and Quiliting. The fee is 50 cents per item entered into the fair and there are 14 categories and many sub categories to enter. Encourage each other to make this weekend your must do in September.
Did you know that if you are not inclined to make things then you can still participate in the fair?
The organizing committee is looking for volunteers to help out with setting up i.e. placing tables and display boards about the site at Fort Steele on Friday evening and hanging pictures or art work and building displays after the items have been delivered on Saturday, before judging. On Sunday you could help out at the different locations like children’s games or the photography venue at the Wildhorse Theatre. High School Students, you need volunteer hours for credit, here is a great way to meet people and partially fulfill that requirement.
Pre-sale tickets are available at the following locations: Cranbrook and Kimberley Chambers of Commerce, The Choice in Cranbrook and Snowdrift Café in Kimberley. Take advantage of getting your ticket early and avoid the line up at the gate on Fair day.
Finally, we shout out to all our friends and neighbours to make their way to Fort Steele for this family friendly event. There will be vendors with items for sale and entertainment peppered about the site.
The fair is not the same without community participation through viewing the venues, cheering on the dog show, playing children’s games and best of all, entering the second Annual Zucchini Race hosted by Save On Foods Cranbrook.
All of the details about the fair can be found in the fair booklet that is now out at various locations around the region. You can find more information online or contact Trudy at 250-421-8230 or Yvonne at 250-489-2377. When you speak to these lovely ladies please say “thanks for all that you do to make the Fair the success that it is.”
Forty years! We know how to do this. Show up and find out what you have been missing. Perhaps next year you will enter your best-kept secret relish.
Lead image: Make your way to the Cranbrook Public Library this month and take in the display regarding the 40th Annual Kootenay Country Fair. Kathleen Simon helped make this display active, informative and colorful just like her award winning window displays when she owned Kathy’s Kitchen on Baker Street in Cranbrook. Photo: R. Rodgers
