ESTEVAN - The 2022 Energy City Ex Fair and Rodeo, brought by the Estevan Exhibition Association, left the community a bit tired, but definitely happy.
Four days filled with action of all kinds came to an end on Sunday after thousands of people attended the event.
EEA president Crystal Ross said this year's fair and rodeo days were "exhilarating, exhausting and phenomenal."
"We are thrilled with the support that the city and the area have given us. People came, people supported us. We didn't know what we were going to expect or how many people would come through the gate. But I'm speechless as to how much support we got," Ross said.
Approximately 8,300 people went through the gate over the four last days of the week. Dozens also partook in the SMILE Services and EEA Parade, and hundreds watched it along the route on the Energy City Ex opening day on Thursday.
Once through the gate at the exhibition grounds, guests had full access to the KCRA rodeo program and the midway area.
The fair rides were available throughout the entire time, and Ross said West Coast Amusements were very happy with the 2022 turnout.
"They were blown away. They had a number in their head as to a goal they needed to reach to ensure that they would come back. And we made it, we made that goal. They love coming to Estevan. They've been coming to us for years and years and years and years. Twenty years ago, when they were here, they're still the same people coming 20 years later, and they remember when it was together. So they love the Estevan crowd because it's friendly and wonderful. What else can we say about Estevan? Just phenomenal people," Ross said.
The generations of the Hausers family that operates West Coast Amusements have been bringing their rides to the Energy City for years, and it sounds like the tradition will continue into the next year.
Ross noted that having the rodeo and the fair together was a huge benefit for them, but also even more so for the whole community, as people have been asking for that reunion for a long time.
And while the EEA wanted to serve Estevan to the best of their ability, bringing the two big attractions together was a big undertaking. They only had three months to put everything together and do something that hasn't been done in more than 20 years.
Nevertheless, the success of this year's fair and rodeo inspired the EEA even more and they already marked June 8-11, 2023, for the next big community event.
"We wanted to ensure that the midway and the rodeo were a huge success. And now that we know we can do that together with the domestics added onto that already, we can potentially bring in more things. We did start talking about other events. And we actually have other ideas on the table about things that we can do for 2023. Now that we have a whole year to plan for 2023, we can get those ideas in motion and bring them to Estevan for the Energy City Ex," Ross said.
She added that while they are already working on the plans, the public will have to wait until next year to learn more about some of them.
"Some things that we bring to the Energy City Ex 2023 are going to be a secret. And we'll unveil them right before just to give a little bit of excitement and anticipation on the event," Ross said.
The Domestic Arts Show was another part of the program this year, which is planned to continue into the next edition of the Energy City Ex. It did change a little bit due to the timeline, and there will be some transformations in 2023. Ross said that the ideas for it are already in the works.
The many vendors that partook in the four days of entertainment were also happy with the turnout.
"We had nothing but positive feedback," Ross said. "The vendors were very, very pleased with the numbers of people, and how hard they had to work, and how sore their feet were."
The success of the joint event was obvious, but what impressed Ross the most was the hard work of the board and volunteers. They were the people behind the scenes that turned big plans into reality.
"The Estevan Exhibition Association board blew me away with the commitment of pulling this off," Ross said.
She added that all the hard work they, as a board put in was very rewarding as they saw people being happy with the results of their efforts.
"To see all of the smiling faces and all the people that came out to enjoy it … the energy that you get from seeing people's excitement and happiness after two years of COVID and two years without a fair. It really united the community. There were people smiling and hugging. It was wonderful," Ross said.
She added that volunteers were instrumental in making the fair and rodeo weekend happen. The EEA had just under 300 people donating their time, so others could enjoy the festivities.
"I don't even know how to thank them enough," Ross said.
Together the EEA board, volunteers, the KCRA and West Cast Amusements brought in not moments, but hours and days of memories, happiness and excitement to Estevan.
"As exhausted as this little board is we are full of adrenaline fuelled by the support of our beautiful community and the amazing people that call it home. I can't even begin to express my gratitude to the board, our unbelievable EEA secretary, and most importantly to the volunteers that worked so hard in the rain and the heat. A huge thank you also has to go out to the KCRA because they bring families, fun and entertainment second to none and West Coast Amusements for their loyalty and love of Estevan to continue to want to make our town a stop on the map," Ross said.
