Every country fair needs some features that draw crowds. The Priddis-Millarville Fair in Alberta has a wagon load of them.
Among its competitions for juniors it has a broomstick cowperson contest, it has a money hill where youngsters dig for nickels, dimes and quarters, it has decorating contests for bicycles and pets and it has a “Braggart’s Children’s Theatre.” For “older kids” it has some cowboys who brew strong coffee over a campfire for fair-goers, it has a weekly farmer’s market that gets even bigger on fair day, it has demonstrations of blacksmithing, sheep shearing and rope making and it has standard livestock show ring judging and indoor classes for baking, preserving and crafts.
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At an outdoor theatre this year they had music, comedy, dancing, hoop dancing and even a cowboy poet.
Millarville’s proximity to Calgary boosts attendance. Given favorable weather, as they had this year, it’s a great outing for a family.
We saw and heard no merry-go-rounds, no ferris wheels, no barkers, no tinny music, no gambling games. How many fairs could function without those? Yet this fair has been staged every year since 1907.
The fair had only two food concessions and the noon lineups stretched all the way from here to there. Some hungry souls went over to the farmer’s market where tasty bits were available for sampling and some cooked food was on sale.
We got in line at the concession back of the livestock ring. This involved careful foot placement for those with city shoes and it took time to work up to the head of the line but the food was sumptuous and scrumptious.
The llamas looked down their noses at we flat country folks but the rest of the crowds and cattle provided the best of hospitality.
