By Bob Groeneveld/Special to the 91原创 Advance
There鈥檚 a busy weekend of fun and entertainment shaping up in Aldergrove.
With everything from cars to small engines, from chili cooking to gold panning, from fast guns to kids on garden tractors, there鈥檚 a lot going on at the Harry Hunt Fields and the Aldergrove Kinsmen Community Centre from Friday, July 20, through Sunday, July 22.
The Aldergrove Fair is back for its 106th annual incarnation, and in the words of co-organizer Karen Long, 鈥淓verything鈥檚 good at the fair this year. We鈥檝e got some amazing entertainment.鈥�
It鈥檚 hard to argue the point with her. The performance list includes 54-40, a Tsawwassen band that has been serving up popular music for its large following since the early 1980s. Leading into the alternative rock band鈥檚 Friday evening performance, The Hip Show, a Tragically Hip tribute band, takes the stage at 5:45 p.m.
Saturday鈥檚 line-up includes a number of tribute bands showcasing the music of Heart, Bad Company, and Pat Benatar.
On Sunday, the Fraser Valley Blues Society will being choosing a band and a solo or duo act to represent the region at the 35th International Blues Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, next January.
鈥淪unday is blues all day,鈥� said Bob Long. 鈥淐owboy church in the morning, and from 10 o鈥檆lock on it鈥檚 the blues competition.鈥�
In the time-honoured spirit of country fairs, there鈥檚 eclectic offerings far beyond the music.
Tractor pulling competition ~ Saturday & Sunday ...an annual feature at 鈥楾he Fair鈥�
鈥� Aldergrove Fair (@aldergrovefair)
鈥淪omebody told us we also had to have noise and dirt to have a good fair,鈥� said Bob. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got noise and dirt with the tractor pull. That is a rare event that you don鈥檛 see anymore.鈥�
鈥淎lso, to involve the kids,鈥� Karen picked up where Bob left off, 鈥渨e鈥檒l have a garden tractor pull. We鈥檒l have garden tractors there, or the kids can bring their own garden tractors.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a kind of a miniature version of the tractor pull,鈥� Bob clarified.
For more conventional automobile enthusiasts, the whole fair starts Friday with a show 鈥榥 shine in the high school parking lot next to the Kinsmen Centre.
And to take vehicles in yet another direction, the BC Farm Machinery Museum Association has partnered with the Aldergrove Fair Society.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e filling up the Kinsmen Hall as well as bringing some big machinery for out on the fairgrounds,鈥� Karen noted.
鈥淎nd the small engines,鈥� added Bob. 鈥淒on鈥檛 forget them.鈥�
鈥淥h, my word!鈥滽aren enthused. 鈥淲e have the Valley Antique Small Engines. Holy!鈥�
鈥淭hose little putt-putt things, you know? They鈥檙e fascinating to watch,鈥� Bob said. 鈥淭ony Wheeler is quite excited about bringing a bunch of those engines down.鈥�
鈥淢ore noise and more dirt!鈥� Karen laughed.
There will be more noise when the Thunderbird Fast Draw gunfighters pick off balloons in competition with some of the fastest guns in North America through the weekend.
For those who want a break from the 鈥渘oise and dirt,鈥� the West Coast Artisan Collective will have 60 artists and artisans showing their homemade and hand-made goods.
Fair Days ...July 20-22. Don鈥檛 miss it!
鈥� Aldergrove Fair (@aldergrovefair)
鈥淎nd oh my gosh,鈥� interjected Karen, 鈥渨e have Yukon Dan the gold panner, and everybody gets to go away with something. It鈥檚 awesome.鈥�
鈥淲e also have Aldor Acres coming down with some animals, like goats, chickens, rabbits,鈥� said Bob.
鈥淎nd Poultry in Motion, with all the little chicks and chickens,鈥� continued Karen, 鈥渢o show what happens in the life of a chicken.鈥�
The only thing missing this year is the parade鈥� 鈥淲e moved the parade to Canada Day,鈥� explained Bob. 鈥淭hat kind of helps with the volunteers, because it鈥檚 an awful lot to do on one day. It was pretty well attended on Canada Day, and it will get better and better. On the fair weekend we鈥檒l just concentrate more on the fair.鈥�
鈥淲e can always use more volunteers,鈥� said Karen, 鈥渕ostly for grounds maintenance and parking.鈥�
鈥淏ut hey can do anything they like,鈥� added Bob. 鈥淲e never have too many volunteers. Whoever wants to help can just show up and we鈥檒l find a job.鈥�
Ask for Bob or Karen Long or Mike Robinson on site.
The Aldergrove Fair is coming up real soon and we are looking for volunteers for various duties and days and times.
鈥� Aldergrove Fair (@aldergrovefair)
Please check out the detail on the link below. Contact us if you have any additional questions. info@AldergroveFair.ca
