The Winkler Harvest Festival is a summer event that many individuals in the community eagerly anticipate and enjoy.
While the flashing lights and loud sounds that fill the fairgrounds are a draw for some, for others, such as those who live with autism, they can act as a barrier to participation.
This year, to provide everyone with an opportunity to embrace what the festivities have to offer, Clover Creek Learning Centre is organizing quieter hours at the fair.
Accommodating different sensitivities
Nolan Martens, the director of Clover Creek, explained why those who live with autism might struggle with loud noises and bright lights.
“There are different sensitivities towards different sensory inputs,” he said. “Our goal here at Harvest Festival is to try our best to provide a space where we can limit some of [that]. Obviously, it's tough to do on a bigger scale like this, but we think that making a few of these adjustments can go a long way.”
Martens said the Harvest Festival organizers also had a sensory-friendly timeframe at the fair last year, but this is the first year that Clover Creek is joining the project.
What will the quiet hours look like?
As for the structure of the quiet hours, according to Martens, the quiet period will happen on Saturday (August 9th) of the Harvest Festival from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“We're still working on some of the details, but we're hoping that we can ... reduce some of the sound from the rides and the flashing lights,” he said. “Really, the goal here is to reach out to the community and understand that there are probably many individuals who may benefit or may appreciate going to check out the fairgrounds.”
Martens said that anyone who would benefit from the quiet period (or has a loved one who would) is encouraged to visit the fairgrounds during this time.
The director also noted that although the goal is to minimize noise and lights as much as possible, a “learning curve” is expected, since the initiative is still in its early stages.
“We're trying to make it a little bit larger scale this year,” he said. “We’re doing our best.”
A community resource
Clover Creek’s commitment to creating spaces for children who live with autism reflects the day-to-day work that Martens and his team do.
“We run a learning centre and we're working with about 35 families right now,” he said. “We work with individuals with one-on-one sessions, and we work towards a variety of goals ... to support families. [We] try our best to support and make a difference in the lives of these individuals.”
Martens’ family established Clover Creek to “support one of [their] own loved ones,” an action that provided them with an opportunity to “reach out to the community to try to help others.”
For Martens, the diversity that comes with the work is one of its shining attributes.
“It's honestly just so beautiful,” he said. “The fun part of the job [is] that with every child, it's so different. It’s fun to make the experience comfortable for each individual and also exciting to work towards their own special interests. It's a blast getting to make these relationships.”
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For anyone interested in what Clover Creek does, Martens noted that the organization is currently hiring.
“If you're an individual who would appreciate working with children on the spectrum and are patient and have a good heart, we would love for you to check us out,” he said.
As for the Harvest Festival, for Martens, it could be the beginning of something more.
“This is a good opportunity to try this out and see the feedback that we get, and we're excited to help the community of Winkler and the people in it,” he said. “We're hoping that this can go over well, and we’ll see what the future looks like.”
To learn about what else the Harvest Festival has to offer this year, click here.
- With files from Jayme Giesbrecht -