Opening day of IPE gets top marks

Aug 29, 2019 | 11:07 AM

Awesome is the word the general manager of the Interior Provincial Exhibition uses to describe how day one went at the fair.

Yvonne Paulson said everything went off without a hitch on Wednesday at the 120th annual event in Armstrong, B.C.’s largest agricultural fair.

“Day one, starting with the weather was awesome. The crowds that came to the fair were awesome as were the rodeo events last night. I have not got anything negative to say about our first day,” Paulson told Vernon Matters.

Paulson said they are not releasing daily attendance figures anymore, but she was pleased.

“I started to count, but I lost count after about 15,000, so I don’t know what we ended up at,” she said.

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As day two of the IPE gets underway, the City of Armstrong is reminding fair goers to ensure their vehicles are parked legally and safely.

Drivers are asked to avoid blocking hydrants, someone’s driveway, impeding traffic, and all no parking areas.

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves safely and responsibly. There are many local service clubs that use this event as a fundraiser so support our organizations and use one of the many parking lots that only charge between $5 to $10 for the day,” said Community Services Manager Warren Smith.

Today is kids day at the fairgrounds.

“We’ve got the watermelon eating contest, corn eating contest, You name it — there is something for everybody, nobody will be bored,” Paulson added.

Paulson said some unique food and drink items at the food fair are getting people talking.

“Do you want some dill pickle lemonade? And then once you get that, you can go over and get your corn dog poutine. And then if you’re not full, you can get your foot-long fish taco. People are loving it,” Paulson said.

The general manager said they are providing a ‘cool zone’ to help fairgoers during the warm weather.

“It’s a place where people can get out of the sun, sit down, have a rest. There is free water refilling station and we’ve got misters in there, so there is an area where they can cool off and hydrate,” Paulson said.

by Pete McIntyre

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