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Moose Jaw Hometown Fair cancelled for a second year due to pandemic restrictions

The Moose Jaw Hometown Fair and Parade will not be happening in June for the second year in a row
rocket pair
Fair enthusiasts will have to wait another summer to enjoy the midway at the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair, as the 2021 event has been cancelled. (file photo: Larissa Kurz)

Although it was a tough decision to announce, organizers of the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair and Parade have confirmed that for the second year in a row, the hugely popular summer event will not be taking place this June due to pandemic-related concerns.

Both the parade and fair, originally slotted to take place on June 23 and June 24-27, will once again be impossible this year due to concerns over gathering sizes and financial logistics.

“We waited as long as we could (to decide this), as we didn’t want to pull the pin on it until we felt we had to,” said George Fowler, general manager at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company. “But we had to be able to do it safely, to protect everybody that was coming, and there’s just no way.”

Saskatchewan is set to be in Phase Two of its reopening plan in mid-June if vaccination targets are met, which means the regulations would allow a crowd limit of up to 150 people at outdoor public venues.

But the Hometown Fair and Parade typically draws thousands of attendees to the midway, explained Fowler, so the crowd capacity for the event would be far too low to be feasible.

An event of that size typically comes with a large operating price tag, said Fowler, and the revenue from crowds of only 150 people at a time likely wouldn’t be enough to cover those costs.

“We need thousands of people on the grounds to pay those costs, and we would never be able to get the midway operator here with restrictions like that, because he has to have full crowds in order to pay for bringing all of his stuff out,” said Fowler. “Security costs are also very high and so are our entertainment costs, and the numbers just won’t work.”

Moving the event to a different weekend wasn’t an option either, said Fowler, as it would mean the British Columbia-based midway operator likely wouldn’t be available at all.

The midway company is typically on its return trip to B.C. through Saskatchewan when it stop in Moose Jaw, and it’s not likely that it will be able to turn around for a postponed date.

“They have a route that they work off of (and) so if you miss your date, you’re not going to get them back out,” said Fowler. “It's a sad part, you know, you can postpone some things about the fair, but not the midway.”

Although it's disappointing to cancel the beloved event again, Fowler said that organizers are keeping a positive attitude about seeing the fair and parade return in 2022. 

Planning typically begins in September, which Fowler feels will offer a clearer perspective on whether big traffic events like summer fairs will be possible.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to feel comfortable to be able to have a fair next year,” said Fowler. “We miss people up here, and everybody has a good time at the fair, so it's nice to see people enjoy things.”

Fowler also hinted that a 2022 Hometown Fair and Parade may see an appearance from the RCMP Musical Ride as a stop on its tour, which hasn't performed in Moose Jaw in six years.

“They’ve indicated to us that they want to be here next year during our fair dates, so that's a really good possibility,” said Fowler. “They’re always a really good show and a great piece of entertainment.”

Until then, Fowler and many others in the Friendly City will be crossing their fingers for the return of the city’s largest summer event in the future.

“I’m really looking forward to 2022 and I hope we can put on a great fair then,” said Fowler.

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