A summertime tradition is back again for bull riding fans from across the province and beyond- Grunthal’s Hanover Ag Fair, August 14th to 17th.
“We have different activities on each day,” says the Hanover Ag Society’s sponsorship and marketing coordinator Brenda Levesque. “They kind of cater to different demographics, but kind of to everyone at the same time. So we have on Thursday and Friday evenings a bull Riders Canada Invitational, which is professional bull riding- a produced event by Crossfire Bull Riding. After the bull riding, we have a Party In The Dirt, where we have live music each night. And also on Friday is an outdoor movie that's free to attend.”
Saturday’s events include a parade, a farmer’s market, the vendor village, kids’ crafts and activities, and the highly anticipated chicken barbecue lunch… to name a few.
“We have kids’ activities. We have a couple of art workshops where you can come and make dream catchers or do finger weaving. We have a kids’ craft corner. There's live entertainment on the Main Stage with a whole bunch of different types of acts all afternoon. We do ATV mud races. We have an arm wrestling contest, heritage tours, and chainsaw carving is coming back again this year as well.”
An event of note, especially for the little ones, is Ag On The Move- an interactive exhibit where kids can learn how food is produced.
“It’s just a fun little education center to explain agriculture to kids in a fun way,” Levesque shares.
What began as a solely agricultural affair 79 years ago has recently transformed into something rather broader. In this vein, the Council has decided to expand the breadth of the arts and culture attractions this year.
“We’ve got a lot of culture in Grunthal, and we want to celebrate the local artisans.”
Headlining this year’s Saturday evening performance on the Main Stage is Ryan Langdon- a Canadian country music artist from Ontario who is currently riding the waves of his rise to fame. Providing support will be Manitoba’s own The Sean Taylor Band.
The concert will end with a bang with fireworks by Canfire at 10:00 PM.
If art, music, and bull riding still don’t fit the bill for you, The Manitoba Mud Mafia just might.
“They're a local organization. They have several events throughout the year around the area. We're lucky that they've decided to join with us this year and come out to our fair. It's exactly what it sounds like. Mud races. ATV's racing in the mud. It doesn't get much better or simpler than that.”
Of all the summer fairs happening in and around southeastern Manitoba, what makes Hanover Ag stand out?
“I think it's just the difference from event to event, from day to day, but also that it ties in nicely together,” says Levesque. “We have a nice mixture for something for everyone, something for each person’s kind of interest.”
The Hanover Ag Fair happens August 14th to 17th in Grunthal. Find the full schedule, tickets, and more on the Hanover Ag website.