Much like the kids it caters to, the Yorkton Kids Expo has grown again this year, with more booths, more entertainment and more events than ever before.
Joelle Bohn says that entertainment was the focus for the weekend, bringing in a bubble show, local dance groups and Cirque Nova all performing over the weekend. Bohn says that their goal is to have a weekend that brings different kinds of entertainment to kids, and makes for an exciting weekend overall.
“We’re trying to bring in different things that people haven’t seen before.”
The goal for every year is to make the event a bit better, not only in the level of entertainment but also in terms of logistics and design. Bohn says that while it was a busier weekend than the previous year, they also have made changes to some of the logistics to make the day move slowly. Bohn says that her goal is to keep improving the weekend each year, down to the smallest detail.
“I have this drive to make everything better than last year.”
One new thing this year has been the Princess Ball, held Saturday night and developed by Events by Kristin, which proposed the idea to Bohn. She says that the plan is to make that another annual event, though it might be spun off into its own day because the combination of the expo and Princess ball can be a lot to take in for kids.
“It was so fun... If you could have saw the kids, all of their magical dreams came true, it was totally worth putting in all the work.”
The event has been a draw from the area, and Bohn says they have families from out of town are coming into the city for the event. The event has always been about highlighting the opportunities for families and children in the city, and she says with the draw of the event overall, she hopes the entire city gets a lift from the expo.
“I’m hoping that not only businesses here, but businesses all around town benefit from this.”
The money raised goes to a different charity each year, and this year Braden Ottenbreit’s Close Cuts for Cancer is the charity of choice. Specifically, the money raised will be going to make cancer treatment more bearable for kids, with trophies for kids going through treatment as well as Comfycozy shirts, brightly coloured clothing with access points for chemotherapy equipment to make it easier for kids.
Bohn says that each year they want to highlight a different group and focus on positive things for kids, something she admits can be challenging as they continue to try to highlight different charities and organizations.
The support of the community is a big reason why the Kids Expo has taken off, and Bohn would like to thank everyone for coming on board for the weekend. She says the ability to have a kid-focused event shows how Yorkton is attracting young families.
“That’s exciting too, to see the growth and to see the young families thriving here, not leaving here.”
