RACING STARTS JULY 8 AT J.D.A. RACEWAY

It’s free and it’s fun!

That describes The Horses At Evergreen Park and starting on Saturday, July 8 everyone will get a chance to take advantage of that free fun.

The only live pari-mutuel horse racing available in the Peace Country continues Saturdays and Sundays until August 27.

The highlight day of the season is Derby Day. This year the Grande Prairie Oaks and Grande Prairie Derby will be held on Sunday, July 30. As always it includes a fancy brunch and a chance for women men and children to dress up in their finest Derby attire and win prizes.

July 23 the always-popular Wiener Dog Derby will be held while the Baconfest returns August 6; Memorial/Pioneer Weekend is August 12-13; Family Weekend August 19-20; Open Farm Day August 20; and the season wraps up with the Mr. Mike’s Paint The Park Purple – Race For The Cure on August 27. The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum Dino Derby as also tentatively scheduled for August 27.

There are over 20 races on the stakes schedule this year highlighted by the GP Derby Races and Paint the Park Purple and including several Bank of America competitions – the John Deere Juvenile Challenge, Adequan Derby Challenge and Bank of America Challenge. All the finals for these prestigious quarter horse races are on July 23.

The Bank of America race winners in Grande Prairie will advance to the Bank of America Challenge Championship at Lone Star Race Track in Grand Prairie, Texas on Oct. 21.

Again this year there will be events for kids, including the largest sand pile in the Peace Country, along with a beverage tent, indoor and outdoor betting kiosks and mobile food concessions. Every weekend there will be a draw for a prize for an adult and for a child.

All the races have a 1:15 p.m. start time.

For registration and more information on the Wiener Dog Derby go here. For a complete schedule of race day events go here.