by PAUL RAYNER

Although changes are beneficial and inevitable, the Turtle Mountain Ag Society does not have to worry about making major shifts in order to put on a successful fair.

Held on June 20-21, the 2009 Boissevain Fair was based on past models and it held up very well, according to Ag Society President Eric Patterson.

“We were very pleased, “Patterson stated. “Everything went off well and there were no disappointments.”

Neither Patterson or secretary-treasurer Nicole Kyle had any concrete numbers about attendance at this early date, but the feeling is that it was competitive with other years, such as the 1400 that showed up for the 2008 edition.

“The attendance might have been down a little, but I think the numbers will be there. Without the final tallies, it is difficult to tell, but I’m sure they’re very comparable.”

As well, the different livestock shows – cattle and light, miniature and heavy horse – numbers have not been fully tallied yet. But Patterson said from his observations at the event, they were strong.

“The cattle entries were good,” he stated, “especially without a breed show this year. All of the horses are huge. We had four horse rings going. So those numbers will be good.”

The fair started on the Saturday night, including the ATV mud bog, the steak spud and sud dinner and the beer garden band Kracker Jack. These continued to do well, the president said. The children’s entertainment, featuring the bouncer and games for kids, were also highlights.

“It has been a good, stable event.”

One of the major elements for success in an outdoor event is weather. Perhaps unexpectedly, the fair enjoyed its second consecutive year of good weather, especially considering the non-existent spring in 2009. Even a bit of wind did not hurt the show, but perhaps enhanced it.

“The weather was good – you couldn’t ask for better. We needed the wind. It added a bit of air flow.”

In his opinion, despite the success, the fair does need to consider changes for the future. This is just an inevitable part of existence.

“I think we need to keep changing things,” he explained. “Every event needs to be tweaked to be made better. I’m only one person, but I think it needs to change all the time.”

“I don’t know the direction of the members right now. If everyone else is happy, then that’s fine. It is a strong enough event.”

As Patterson recognizes, an expansion of the fair can only happen with an expansion of the volunteer base. The Turtle Mountain Ag Society has as strong a base as any in the community, but they would need help to add events to the fair. Patterson stressed that anyone can be a member and is welcome to get involved. As well, they would not mind bringing in a few service groups in the future.

“I think in the next 6-8 months we’ll decide what we’ll be doing.”

For him, this is the second and final Boissevain Fair under his charge, with Barb Kyle scheduled to take over in the fall. He is happy with what they have done during his time.

“It’s been fine,” Patterson stated. “A lot of people say ‘I don’t want to be president’, but we have good people, so we don’t have any real problems. The people have been supportive.”

His role as past president will be to help and advise the incoming president. Although the event may see changes in the future, he does feel the Boissevain Fair still serves its purpose in the community.

“Some people might say it’s the same old fair, but if you look at the support we get for it, and the amount of people who come, it is a good, stable event. We have a good base, and if we bring in more people, we can do more.”