Chestermere residents have already packed plenty of celebration into the first half of summer, but the community calendar is far from finished.
From activities designed for the city’s youngest residents to Indigenous culture, fireworks and bull riding beside the lake, the opening weeks of summer offered a broad mixture of events. Several more gatherings are scheduled before the end of September, carrying the community from the height of summer into the first days of fall.
The season began June 20 with Chestermere’s first Children’s Festival at John Peake Park. The free event featured live entertainment, a petting zoo, face painting, hands-on explorer stations, games, vendors and food trucks. The festival was introduced as a place where children could participate rather than simply watch, with activities aimed at families and children of different ages.
John Peake Park became the centre of the community again July 1 as Chestermere marked Canada’s 159th birthday.
The day began with a pancake breakfast and continued with live performances, carnival games, children’s activities, wagon rides, a petting zoo, food trucks and an artisan market. The celebration ended with fireworks over Chestermere Lake, a familiar local scene that continues to draw residents toward the waterfront each Canada Day.
One week later, the Lead by Example Powwow brought dancers, drummers, families and visitors together at John Peake Park.
Created in memory of Kristian Kakato’si Ayoungman, a Siksika Nation athlete, leader and champion dancer, Lead by Example has developed into a regional contest powwow welcoming participants from Alberta and beyond. The July 8 gathering gave Chestermere residents an opportunity to experience traditional dancing, drumming, storytelling and cultural connection close to home.
The summer calendar then traded drums for hooves July 17 when Bulls on the Beach returned to the grounds of the Rocky View Chestermere Agricultural Society.
The Bull Riders Canada-sanctioned event featured 25 Canadian bull riders competing in an outdoor arena near Chestermere Lake. The evening continued with a cabaret and live music by Joel Ostrom and the Tin Star Band. Now in its sixth year, the event has become one of Chestermere’s more unusual attractions, combining professional bull riding with a lakeside setting.
The next major community gathering currently scheduled is the Synergy Amazing Duck Race on Aug. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at John Peake Park.
Unlike a traditional rubber-duck race down a waterway, the Synergy event challenges community teams to carry numbered ducks through an obstacle course. The ducks are matched with sponsored entries at the finish line, helping raise money to support Synergy’s work with local youth, families and residents.
September will bring an opportunity for local young people to learn about emergency services.
Chestermere Fire Services will hold its youth Fire Camps from Sept. 11 to 13 at the Chestermere Fire Station. Participants between the ages of 15 and 18 will receive hands-on experience with breathing equipment, fire hoses, hydrants, search-and-rescue procedures and emergency-response simulations.
Participation is free, but spaces are limited and applicants must submit an essay explaining their interest in attending. Applications close July 31.
The community’s longest-running annual celebration will return Sept. 12 when the Rocky View Chestermere Agricultural Society presents the 37th Chestermere Country Fair.
The fair begins with a 9:30 a.m. parade travelling north along West Chestermere Drive toward the recreation centre. This year’s parade theme is “The Horse.”
Activities at the recreation centre will include the Harvest Market, children’s games, a petting zoo, obstacle courses, rodeo events, mutton bustin’, the Red Ribbon Competition, zucchini car racing and the Whitecappers’ traditional pie and ice cream.
Some activities are free, while tickets are required for the Kids Zone and rodeo events.
Together, the events show the different strands that make up modern Chestermere: lake life, agricultural roots, cultural learning, family recreation and a strong network of volunteers.
Summer may be moving quickly, but the community calendar still has a few pages left to turn before September gives way to autumn.