Tom Henihan
Express Staff
The weekend of July 30 and 31 promises to be exceptionally busy and entertaining at the Donnelly Fairgrounds, with Smoky River Mud Bogs taking place from noon to 5 pm for the two-day event.
Multiple vehicle power/tire size classes are scheduled and those wishing to enter can register vehicles on-site from 9am to noon.
Other activities and events at the Fairgrounds are bouncy castle and face painting for kids; a beer garden in grand stands open from 11 a.m.-6 pm and reopening in at pole shed bldg at 6pm.
From 6:30 p.m.to 2 a.m. there is live entertainment opening with Rewind and featuring the C.Alice Band on Saturday, and from 6.30pm to 1am with Rewind on Sunday. No minors allowed at the nightly entertainment.
Gate Fee are $10 per day ages 14 and up and $5 per day 6-13 years. Kids under six years are free.
The gate fees include the nightly entertainment and dance. Overnight camping $25 for the weekend and tents are $10.
Daily food booth operations are available during the event plus fire pits, limited wood supply and washroom facilities.
Anyone requiring further information should contact event coordinator Charlie Deslaurier at (780) 837-5204.
Other events sponsored by the Smoky River Ag Society and coinciding with mud bogs are a slo-pitch ball tournament, a Bench Fair and Lawnmower Races.
The lawnmower races take place from 11am to 1pm on both days. The slo-pitch tournament is tentatively scheduled for both July 30 and 31 from 9am to 6pm at the ball diamond in Donnelly. For more information on slo-pitch contact Roger Boissoneault at (780) 837-0862
The Bench Fair and quilting show is also scheduled for July 29 and 30 and participants can drop of their items at Georges P. Vanier gym on July 28 from 5pm to 7pm and July 29 from 9am to 11am, after which time the doors will be closed for judging.
“This is an opportunity for people to bring their arts and crafts and baking. Originally, at the big fairs, people brought lots of grains, grasses and flowers so we still encourage that,” says event coordinator Carmen Ewing.
Among other items included are sewing, honey and environmentally friendly projects. There are also sections for seniors, kids of different age groups and people with challenges.
“I would strongly encourage the young people to bring their crafts, the stuff they have done in school and environmentally friendly projects,” says Ewing. “We have a specialty section for environmentally friendly, for people who do recycling and that sort of stuff.”
The quilt show is just for exhibition and is not juried. The exhibition is for storytelling and a display of quilting in the region and within families.
People are asked to bring in their quilts and to tell the stories related to the item.
The Bench Fair and Quilting exhibition is open to the public and is free of charge.
For more information, contact Carmen Ewing at 780-837-6865.