Kinsmen Park was filled with bears on Saturday (Sept. 14) for the annual Teddy Bear Picnic.
The event has been taking place for over five years and featured many popular bear mascots, including Winnie the Pooh, Yogi Bear, and Po from Kung Fu Panda. Children enjoyed free balloons and snacks as they spent the afternoon with the bears.
"We work with a costume shop out of Calgary, and they're really good. We have some junior ones that we just purchased because I have grandsons coming up that don't fit into the adult costumes," said Debbie Mitzner, town councillor, local realtor, and organizer of the event.
The bears were rewarded with a pizza party as they danced with the kids and worked on colouring books together. The event also included a live DJ, free cornhole, and a Teddy Bear Hospital.
The hospital included nurses stitching and repairing injured plushies, all by donation. All proceeds from the Teddy Bear Hospital went towards the True North Society.
"It's all about giving back to the community," added Mitzner. "We've been really blessed with the weather every year. We've never had any rain."
Mintzer says it's one of many community events she hosts throughout the year. On the same day as the picnic, she also hosted a garage sale parade across Strathmore, with dozens of residents taking part.
You can see a gallery from the Teddy Bear Picnic below: