The Interlake region is preparing for pancakes, parades, and plenty of rodeo dust with the return of Eriksdale Creamery Days Fair & Rodeo this weekend, promising a full schedule of family-friendly fun.
Cauy Kinkead, with the Creamery Days Fair & Rodeo, says the annual event kicks off this Saturday (July 5th), and runs through Sunday, bringing together everything from antique tractor pulls to heart-stopping rodeo events.
“It all starts Saturday morning with our pancake breakfast at the Eriksdale Recreation Centre, put on by the Eriksdale Fire Department,” Kinkead says. “After that wraps up, we’ll have our parade.”
The colourful parade will wind its way through town, beginning and ending at the Eriksdale Creamery Museum. Once the final float rolls by, local delegates will say a few words, followed by a variety of kids’ activities.
“There’s a bouncer, and the fire department is debuting the new inflatable Fire Safety House,” he explains. “It’s wheelchair accessible and set up to teach kids about fire safety, so we’re pretty excited to see that.”
The museum grounds will also host face painting, live music by the band 'Prairieline', and a BBQ by the Eriksdale Curling Club, keeping everyone fed until 3:00 p.m. when the action shifts across the highway to the Eriksdale Sports Grounds.
“There will be softball games, our antique tractor pull, and then at 5:00 p.m., the Heartland Rodeo gets going,” he continues. “It’s a good show to come watch, and it keeps everybody on their toes, right from start to end.”
The Heartland Rodeo will feature a full slate of events, including rough stock competitions, bull riding, team roping, and barrel racing, with a strong showing from local competitors.
“There are a lot of entries this year, and we’re happy with all the people coming out,” he adds. “We’re lucky that there are a lot of local contestants participating on Saturday, so we’re happy to cheer them on.”
As the sun goes down on Saturday night, the beer gardens come to life, and the party keeps rolling with a live performance by Bluestem, a new addition to this year’s lineup.
Sunday brings more of the same high-energy fun, with the tractor pull resuming at noon, followed by the second day of rodeo at 1:00 p.m. Kids’ activities will also be back on site.
Creamery Days wouldn’t be complete without the exhibit entries at the museum, where judges will have their hands full evaluating everything from homemade jams to kids’ artwork.
“Lots of people get their grandkids involved, helping them make stuff like jams and paintings,” he says. “We love watching all these young kids get together with their families and participate in the weekend with us.”
Tickets are $18 for the full weekend or $10 for a single-day pass. Kids 12 and under are free.
With more than a decade of Creamery Days now in the rearview, the event remains one of Eriksdale’s most cherished traditions, thanks to a whole community pulling together.
“We would just love to say thank you to everybody that comes out, our sponsors, the volunteers, the groups in the community that help us put it on,” said Kinkead. “This would never happen without them, and we’re excited to go again and hope to see everybody there. It’s a lot of fun. The weekend goes so quickly, but we sure enjoy it while it’s here.”
~With files from Brittany Boschman
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