Ogema Agricultural Society held its 103rd annual summer fair on July 8 with something for everyone. Fair day was action-packed starting with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Deep South Museum at 7 a.m., followed by a parade down main street. Businesses and organizations entered floats creating a celebratory mood.
The main event was the agricultural exhibit set up in the skating rink. Dozens of tables displayed entries in hundreds of categories including sewing, quilting, needlework, children and adult baking, grains and grasses, canned foods, arts and crafts, children’s art, writing and schoolwork, plants, fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, sketching, painting, Lego, woodwork and many more entries. While visitors moved from table to table browsing the exhibits, the band 8’s Enuff from Regina entertained on saxophone, trumpet and percussion with old time favourites and jazzy tunes.
A number of events were organized around the fair day. Ogema’s men’s fastball team rescheduled a regular league game to coincide with the fair day. This event provided an afternoon of leisurely sporting action.
The fair day included a number of children’s activities that allowed the whole family to participate and have fun. A children’s rodeo allowed future rodeo stars to show off their elementary reining and riding skills. It was amazing to watch the budding horsemanship skills of three to six-year-olds as they maneuvered full-sized horses.
Children could enter pets in the pet show for judging and decorate their bikes to ride in the parade. A Kiddie Corner at the skating rink offered a variety of games, while the petting zoo with miniature horses and pigs and bunnies attracted even the adults.
There was plenty to eat and drink. A concession ran in the grandstand by the ball diamond during the day. In the evening, a supper was hosted at the Community Heritage Hall. A beer gardens operated during the day and a cabaret entertained in the evening. The day concluded with a Canada 150 fireworks display at the ball diamonds.
The Ogema Agricultural Society was chartered on January 8, 1914. In the first decades, the agricultural fairs were held over two days. The heavy and light horse competitions attracted a lot of attention. Livestock and crop and plant samples were put on display. For example, in the 1930s there were around 1,600 exhibits at the summer fair. Prize monies and entry fees were donated back to the Society to develop the fair grounds, plant trees and rebuild the rink. In 1924 prize winners donated $1,000 back to the Agricultural Society from their prize monies. Today, the society holds monthly meetings. Its main activity is hosting the annual fair day.
