Wholesome family fun at Moose Jaw’s Hometown Fair

For some people, it’s the crack of the bat on a warm afternoon in the sun. For others, it’s the rhythmic lapping of the waves as they beat against a sandy shoreline.

In Moose Jaw, few things introduce the community to summer than the sweet smells, the screams, the rumble and the hustle of the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair. This year’s event is scheduled to take place June 22 to 25 at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company grounds, 250 Thatcher Drive. The annual event has taken place in the city for more than a century, but pandemic restrictions in 2020 and 2021 caused it to go on hiatus until last summer. When it returned to the schedule, so did fairgoers pushing organizers to keep the event entrenched in the city’s cultural fabric.

The Exhibition Company was originally established in 1884 to run the event, which still features the agricultural roots it stems from. Among the many attractions hitting the fairgrounds that weekend are a Hunter/Jumper Horse Show and the annual Moose Jaw 4-H Cattle Show and Sale. But the over-arching theme of the fair is succinct, with its family-friendly attractions kicking off a multitude of seasonal events in the city. This year’s version is teased at 7 p.m. June 21 with the Hometown Parade running down Main Street. The parade includes entries from the region’s wide variety of businesses alongside various community organizations, such as the Shriners, the Moose Jaw Navy League Cadets, dance and cheer groups, horse riders and horse drawn wagons. The fair itself begins at 3 p.m. June 22. It runs until 10 p.m. Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, Noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and Noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. The events agenda works through the horse and 4-H shows while the sounds, scents and hustle of the other attractions denote the family-oriented entertainment that draws visitors and residents in. The 2023 event will include a petting zoo, pony rides, bouncy castles and a roving magician performing illusions throughout the park. Even more attractions were being booked at press time. At the centre of it all is the buzz and blur of the midway, presented by West Coast Amusements (WCA). The company is known throughout Western Canada for its carnival attractions, which include more than 120 rides and games touring in four separate units across the Prairies. WCA works more than 100 events per year. The games and rides available for the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair are yet to be determined.

And this year’s event will have an international twist with performances from the Canine Stars Dog Show from the United States. An entry in the 2021 America’s Got Talent televised competition, Canine Stars hosts a variety of dog breeds rescued from shelters and other sources in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The dogs have been trained to accomplish amazing feats and tricks to highlight the organization’s mission to save the animals, educate the public on their value and entertain with the new skills they have learned. The show includes big air stunts, dock diving, freestyle frisbee routines, high jumping, agility exhibitions, flyball racing and more.

But the day is not complete without a little traditional fair food. Whether it’s hot dogs or hamburgers, mini-donuts or elephant ears, it’s hard to deny the unique, sweet temptations of carnival grub. The Moose Jaw Exhibition Company grounds hosts two permanent concessions, with several food trucks moving in during the four-day event. Participants will be fed, watered and fully entertained by the end of the day.

Tickets to the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair provide attendees access to most attractions, with exceptions being midway rides, games and other WCA infrastructure.

There are many ways to celebrate the opening of Saskatchewan’s summer season, but few are as traditional, wholesome and fun as the local annual fair. For more information about the 2023 event, contact the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company at 306.692.2723, on Facebook or at moosejawex.ca.