Mutts who are talented and even those who are not are all welcome to be part of Saturday’s Olde Towne Okotoks Country Fair. A dog parade is just one of many events going on in town September 3. The fair kicks off at 8 a.m. with a by donation pancake breakfast at the Lions Campground.
No preregistration is required for the dog parade, which follows at 10 a.m. in Sheep River Park. Fair organizer Marg Cox explained one’s family pet could be rewarded just for making an appearance at the event.
“We try to find some sponsors to give out a few little prizes for things like the best dressed dog, dogs that do tricks, the smallest dog and the largest dog,” she said. “It’s all just about having fun and including kids and their animals. ”
Cox didn’t rule out a prize for ugliest dog or rewards in other unorthodox categories.
“We’re always open to suggestions,” she said.
For the third annual fair many food vendors will be set up downtown, the petting zoo returns to the lawn outside of the Okotoks Art Gallery and there will be horse drawn wagon rides in the olde towne area. The event is also taking a step forward as a shopping experience with the inclusion this year of the Market Square at Olde Towne Plaza. The square has become a staple of the First Saturday’s Monthly Festivals of Arts and Culture and having it in conjunction with the fair for the month of September should mean more people out to peruse things like jewelry, food and beverage products and home décor items.
Starting at noon interactive calf roping will be taking place outside the Boot Hill Gallery on Elizabeth Street. Kids of all ages will get to try their hand at landing a lasso on an artificial calf’s head. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Ethel Tucker Park on Riverside Drive will be featuring a KidsSport barbecue complete with bouncy castles and a short three-hole disc golf course.
“We will give people a lesson on the different grips and throws,” said Heather Driedger of WJ Homestead Disc Golf who will be setting up the course Saturday. “We now have baskets at our course and we actually have a portable basket I’ll be bringing out so people can see what it’s like to throw into that. We’ll bring out some discs and introduce people to the sport.”
Wrapping things up Saturday night will be the Okotoks Pro Rodeo Dance at 9:30 p.m. at the curling rink in the Okotoks Recreation Centre. The tunes at this adults only affair will be supplied by KixxSin a four piece act known for putting a rock spin on traditional country hits and adding western flavour to top 40 pop hits.
Tickets for the dance and the rodeo itself, which runs Friday through Sunday Sep 2-4 at the rec centre, can be obtained by calling 403-938-1518. For a more complete rundown of everything going on locally at the Olde Towne Okotoks Country Fair visit the events calendar at www.okotoks.ca
