The 15th annual Weyburn Wheat Festival will be taking place from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7.
The 15th annual Weyburn Wheat Festival will be taking place from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7. Festival organizer Maureen Clay says that the Wheat Festival will provide entertainment that anyone can enjoy, with highlights including the annual bread baking competition, the 86th annual Horticulture Show, the presentation of "The Fantasticks" at the Tommy Douglas Centre, the Weyburn Rodeo, and Heritage Days at Heritage Village.
As always the Soo Line Historical Museum will be hosting their annual bread baking competition in conjunction with the Festival. Entries for the competition are due on Thursday, August 4 by 6 p.m. for judging. There are a wide variety of categories to the contest, including: white bread, whole wheat bread, multi-grain, specialty breads, machine-made bread, white buns, and brown buns. All bread must be handmade with the exception those in the machine-made category. Buns entered in the contest must be less than three inches in diameter.
The Soo Line Museum will also be open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday, and from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday. During the Festival, residents can purchase homemade bread, pies and jams at the Museum.
Two exhibits will be showcased at the Signal Hill Arts Centre, one from Jack Pickering, an artist from Milestone and artwork by the Weyburn Artists Workshop and Hill Top Painters. Pickering's exhibits includes drawings, paintings, and bronze sculptures that he has done over the years. His book "Prairie Pilgrimage" will be on display, and it features 366 sketches of old farm and town buildings around the province.
The Weyburn Artists Workshop and Hill Top Painters feature their artwork in "Weyburn Heritage Village", which showcases paintings of the various buildings in the nearby Village.
Visitors to the Festival can take a step back in time by visiting Heritage Village for Heritage Days. The village will be open to the public 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday. There will be plenty of attractions and entertainment going on during Heritage Days.
Rides will be offered on the old time fire truck and tractor; Walter Tytlandvik will have a collection of antiques on display; and there will be demonstrations in rope-making, blacksmithing, butter churning, and ice cream making. Homemade Saskatoon berry pie will be on sale. Many of the homes and buildings found in Heritage Village will have an extra bit of history in them during the Festival. Volunteers will dressed in period clothing and discuss the history on the buildings and the people that lived in them.
Special entertainment will be found at Heritage Village. Friday's performers include Dane Von Hagen at 1 p.m.; the opening ceremonies at 2 p.m. with members of the Colour Guard, bagpipers, and a retired RCMP officer; and is followed by Chelsea Woodard, Karissa Hoffart and Rachel Allen's bellydancers. Saturday's performers include the Happy Wanderers at 1 p.m.; Tenille Arts at 2 p.m.; Al Sluca at 3 p.m.; and the STARS Choir at 5 p.m.
Two dinner theatre productions of "The Fantasticks" will be taking place at the Tommy Douglas Centre on August 5 and 6 at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. "The Fantasticks" is the longest running Broadway play of all time, and this version is being put on almost entirely by local talent. Playing the lead roles of Matt and Luisa are Kjel Sidloski and Jenna Neufeld respectively. Michael Dunne will be playing the role of Huckabee, Matt's father, and Jeff Ring of Regina will play Bellomy, Lusia's father. The plot of the play revolves around Matt and Luisa falling in love, but not everything is as it seems.
The supporting cast consists of Dave Frayn as Henry, David Rennie as Mortimer, Kassandra Lawrenz as The Mute, and John Nolan as El Gallo. Tickets for the dinner theatre are $50. There will also be nightly productions at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 3 until Sunday, August 7.
The 86th annual Horticultural Show will be held on August 5 and 6 at Knox Hall. The show will be open from 12 noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Residents can enter their house plants, cut flowers, planters, fruits, vegetables, and virtually any plant they've grown over the past year. Entries will be accepted on Thursday, August 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. and on August 5 from 7 to 8:30 a.m.
A junior division allows younger gardeners the opportunity to showcase their flowers, fruits, vegetables, or a floral arrangement in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Red Wings.
The Wheat Festival will come to a close on Sunday, August 7 with the Interdenominational church service at the Comp Cafetorium at 10:30 a.m.
