FOSTER'S AGRI-SHOW CHOCK FULL AGAIN THIS YEAR

It has a new name – Foster’s Peace Country Classic Agri-Show – but everything you liked about it is back … and more!

The 34^th annual Agri-Show goes March 7-9 at Evergreen Park and once again it is chock full of things to see and do. Click on Schedule of Events to the left for details.

Doors open at 10 a.m. all three days and close at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

When you arrive at the Park one of the first things you will notice are the large pieces of agricultural machinery around the TARA Centre parking lot.

With temperatures expected to be spring-like all three days of the Show it’s a good time to be outside for a little fresh air and help shake off that Cabin Fever that is more prevalent in February than any month. Hurray for March!

Over 100 exhibitors displaying everything agricultural-related, and otherwise, will be set up in the TARA Centre for all three days. If you need a combine that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars … the TARA Centre is the place! Of, if you just want a hot dog those are available at the Ritchie Bros. Concession in both the TARA Centre and Drysdale Centre.

The main venues for the Show are the TARA Centre, Drysdale Centre and Lewis Hawkes Pavilion, but other locations are being used too.

For the first time at the Show, there will be Thunder In The Park. It’s a skijoring competition as part of the Keddie’s Horse Program. It goes in the Wapiti Parking Lot, just south of the Lewis Hawkes Pavilion on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The “track” will be lit so the thrills and spills can continue into the evening.

You can click on the poster right for a link that takes you to a registration form … if you are interested in being a participant in the thrills and spills.

And if skijoring isn’t thrilling enough for you, register for the Medieval Mounted Gaming clinic. It goes 11 a.m. each day in the Lewis Hawkes Pavilion.

Lori Smith is a Senior Marshall in the equestrian arts for Avacal (the division that Alberta falls under in the Society of Creative Anachronism- Kingdom of Avacal) and her skills lay specifically in the medieval military styled games used for training horses and riders.

She will be holding a clinic, open to spectators to watch, during all three days of the Show.

A complete list of Keddie’s Horse Program events is available by clicking on the Keddie's Horse Program logo to the left.

The Keddie’s Horse Program goes 12 noon to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Lewis Hawkes Pavilion …except for the skijoring.

The prices for bulls early in the year have been good, so expectations will no doubt be high for the annual ATB Northern Classic Bull Sale.

It goes in the Drysdale Centre on the Friday of the show at 1 p.m. and over 70 bulls are expected to go on the block in what is normally a jam-packed venue.

The Drysdale Centre is also the venue for the AFSC Petting Zoo. It is one of the most popular features of the Show, especially for the little ones, and always features some interesting and exotic animals and birds.

It is also where the Youth Program will be held on Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

And speaking of kids, the Bio-Cycle Solutions Kidz Zone is back again this year.

It is located in the foyer of the TARA Centre. There will be free movies and face painting by Trinity Body are in the Keddie’s Korner room as part of the Kidz Zone and Bio-Cycle Solutions will be handing out free passes to the Evergreen Park Kids Zone during the show … while they last!

The Evergreen Park Kids Zone is located in the Gordon Badger Stadium at JDA Raceway and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. 

Again this year the Sexsmith Seed Cleaning Plant is sponsoring the wagon rides. You can jump on at the TARA Centre and get dropped off at the Drysdale Centre/Lewis Hawkes Pavilion and then hop back on for the trip back to the TARA Centre after you have visited the Keddie’s Horse Program, AFSC Petting Zoo or ATB Northern Classic Bull Sale.

This year the Michener Allen Kids Auction goes on Friday at 1 p.m. in the TARA Centre. You can get auction “cash” by bringing a Food Bank donation and dropping it off at the ATB booth in the Main Hall between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. There is also a free auctioneer “school” for kids starting at 11 a.m. in the IPAC Room in the TARA Centre.

The County of Grande Prairie is involved in a big way with the Agri-Show again this year. They are sponsoring the Farm Family Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the FMC Room (Kin Room) in the MD of Greenview North Wing and then the Farm Family banquet at 6 p.m. in Clarkson Hall.

The City of Grande Prairie is the Thursday sponsor and the Canadian Canola Growers Association is sponsoring both Friday and Saturday.

Both the Pines Family Restaurant and Pines Restaurant & Casino are open during the Show. The family restaurant hours are Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Pines Restaurant & Casino is open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

The Pines Restaurant & Casino also features off-track racing. You can watch and bet on, at one of two self-bettors, races from across North America.

The IPAC Room is also being used as a Family Room during the Show. There are defibrillators in the TARA Centre, Lewis Hawkes Pavilion and Gordon Badger Stadium.

Again this year there is a nice list of speakers talking on a variety of subjects. Click speaker graphic right for complete schedule.

On Thursday and Friday, Neil Wiens, who revolutionized the ag nutrient industry with Bio-Sul Premium Plus, will be doing presentations called Seaweed Or Cash Crop? As well as May The Force Be With You – Bio-Sul Halo Effect. He is sponsored by DeBolt Ag.

He talks at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday in the Chamber of Commerce Room in the MD Of Greenview North Wing. Each presentation is for an hour.

Also on Thursday in the same room, from 3:30-4:30 p.m., Pierre Trudel of FBC will be offering Top Tax Tips For Agri-Business.

On Friday, MNP will be making some presentations in the FCC Room in the foyer of the TARA Centre.

MNP’s Tracy Leishman, CPA, CA; Todd Strang (KMSC); Dwayne Peters, CPA. CA; and MNP’s Joe Renooy, CPA, CA will be talking about Farm Land Succession Options at 10:30 a.m. At 1 pm. Leishman, Renooy and MNP’s Dwayne Peters, CPA, CA will be speaking about Tax Changes & Farm Risk Management.

On Friday and Saturday in the FCC Room, Carol Bouck, Foster Park Brokers Farm Team Lead, will be speaking about Farm Insurance 101. Friday’s talk starts at 3 p.m. and Saturday’s at 1 p.m.