Midale is preparing for an action-packed long weekend, featuring the Midale Rodeo and the annual Midale Threshing Bee, hosted by the Souris Valley Antiques Association (SVAA).
Glenn McGregor, president of the SVAA, said the two events are separate, but the groups work together to ensure entertainment for the long weekend.
The rodeo kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. with food vendors available and the main event set for 7 p.m. A cabaret is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.
The SVAA’s event begins Saturday, Aug. 3, at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the Downtown Museum.
“We move up to the Heritage Village, up behind the school there in town where we have our own little heritage village set up, which includes the blacksmith shop, an old schoolhouse, an old hall, an old church, and a couple of houses, one being a regional homestead to where the museum sits,” said McGregor.
At 2 p.m. they will have an old tractor and car display showing off multiple pieces of equipment owned by the museum as well as locals. Following the parade, they move straight into a live threshing demonstration.
“The last few years we’ve actually pulled out an old wire-tyer baler and started with that as well,” McGregor added.
The heritage village opens at 11 a.m. with a blacksmith demonstration, followed by the thresherman’s parade starting at 2 p.m., which will be followed by the threshing demonstration.
This year marks the 58th anniversary of the event, which McGregor said is an important way to showcase the history of the Midale area.
“The event shows local pieces of history that are sitting in our museum and the upkeep that we go through every year to make sure that we keep them in the shape they’re in,” he said.
Although the events are run by separate groups, McGregor noted that nothing would get completed without the collaboration between the rodeo and the SVAA.
“Every year we are looking for something new, and we’re fortunate enough to have a rodeo committee in our community that’s trying to do the exact same thing as we are,” he said.
McGregor emphasized the importance of community involvement in preserving local history.
“We’re always looking for extra sets of hands in some way or another to help out,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for the community to come together and keep our history alive.”
With both events promising a weekend full of excitement and tradition, Midale is ready to showcase the best of its heritage and hospitality.