The end of February will be marked with the sound of snowmobiles. The Yorkton Sno-Riders are the host of the 2015 Provincial Snowmobile Festival on February 27 and 28.
The event begins Friday evening with a meet and greet, as well as a vintage snowmobile fashion show. The second day will feature breakfast, self-guided trail exploration, as well as a stop at the Super Trac vintage snowmobile museum. The event ends with the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association banquet, Co-op awards and entertainment. There will also be a draw for one of four snowmobiles or $10,000. Music for the weekend will be provided by Shameless. All events take place at the St. Mary’s Cultural Center.
Chris Brewer, President and CEO of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, says that it was the volunteers with the Sno-Riders that made the bid a success. He says that it’s clear the community is behind snowmobiling, whether it’s the riders themselves or the businesses that support them, and hosting the festival in Yorkton was a way to recognize the enthusiasm within the city. He makes special note of the volunteers and says the volunteer base makes the event possible.
“I can’t recognize the volunteers enough, they do such a good job.”
The biggest highlight of the festival for Brewer is the social part of the weekend, as snowmobile enthusiasts from across the province meet again each year and share success stories from the different clubs in the province.
Jason Popowich, president of the Yorkton Sno-Riders, says that hosting the festival is the perfect way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the club in the city. While there were lean years at the beginning, he says that the ability to host a major festival shows how far they have come with the trail system and making Yorkton a snowmobiling destination.
It’s the relationship between the city and the local riders that makes it possible to host a big event such as this one, Popowich says. Yorkton was the first city to allow snowmobiles to enter the city for food and lodging back in 1996, and the working relationship has been a positive one ever since.
“They’ve been so supportive, not only the city council, but also city administration, public works and parks and recreation. They’re forward thinking, they think outside the box, whenever we have a plan or idea they’re very supportive... I get calls repeatedly from various communities and clubs in the province asking how we convinced our city to allow these trails into the city. I say they’re forward thinking, and they know what tourism dollars mean in the winter.”
Registration for the event is open now at www.sasksnow.com.
