Portage la Prairie families turned out in full force this past Saturday, August 30, for the 10th annual Fun with Family Festival at Our Farm Greenhouse. The milestone event packed the grounds with activities, music, and plenty of food.
Festival coordinator Bhryden Doherty reflected on the decade-long tradition and said the day was designed with families in mind.
Activities for all ages
Kids and parents alike enjoyed face painting, balloon twisting, tractor rides, and a bouncy castle, while yard games and the always-popular Touch-a-Truck display kept the crowd busy. Free Deep ’n’ Delicious cake added a sweet treat to the afternoon.
“Basically a good time with the family,” says Doherty. “There's vendors here, there's food trucks here. We've got things like the heart team, which is a scoop diving rescue team, touch of trucks, live music, and fireworks.”
The market ran from morning until late afternoon, while the car show drew steady crowds from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Community makes it possible
The festival leaned on the support of many local businesses once again this year.
“We are a community event. We do run off of sponsorship support. Some of our biggest sponsors this year were Honeybee Health Food, Our Farm Greenhouses, Quintex, Enns Brothers.” continues Doherty.
This year’s program also featured the Heart Search and Rescue Response Team, a group Doherty said deserves more recognition.
“We've actually known about them for about four or five years now. They make a very good effort of going in and helping people when they need help most. That being said, we wanted to give them some exposure to help other communities realize what they do because we don't feel like they get enough exposure,” says Doherty.
A hot but smooth day
Though the summer heat played a role in turnout, Doherty said the festival still came together thanks to the dedication of volunteers and the energy of those in attendance.
“It was very warm day. I think that kept a little bit of people away. That being said, everything's ran smoothly. The volunteers have done an amazing job today considering the heat, and I am very grateful for every single team player who came out, whether that be the sponsors, whether that be the staff, including the people who attend it,” notes Doherty.
The day ended on a high note with live performances from Joel Vaughn, Preston Tanghe, and Portage la Prairie Worship Collective. A fireworks show lit the night sky to close out the festival’s 10th year in style.
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