Gamercyrus’s Blog

This is my column from the Stony Plain Reporter / Spruce Grove Examiner that I was unfortunately forced to revised literally in the final hours before going to print (it was approved by my editor-in-chief, but not by the publishing manager). Here is the UNRATED version.

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Farmers' Days 2008 Parade. Other events including arm wrestling, pancake breakfast, midway rides, a rodeo, and of course, the beer garden.

For me, Farmers’ Days, along with the Kinsmen Rodeo and the midway rides (I consider it all to be one event) has been an integral part of my upbringing.

As someone who has lived most of my life in Stony Plain, Farmers’ Days is one of the biggest events of the year for me, and as I grew up and my personality changed, so did the event change for me.

I think most of my memories of Farmers’ Days came when I was a teenager. It was all about how much mischief my friends and I could get away with and how drunk we could
get while doing it.

There used to be a hole in the fence surrounding the exhibition grounds and we used to sneak in through that to avoid paying the entrance fee, which is no longer charged.

Once in, it was a game to find someone older we knew to help us get into the beer gardens, or at least get someone to buy us some alcohol. If you were caught, you were made fun of the next day so the aim was to be as sneaky as you could.

We would then take our liquored selves out to the midway rides area and use our new sense of confidence to woo the girls, which rarely worked.

When we got bored with that along with the rides, we would look for trouble outside of the fair grounds and stumble our way through Stony, vandalizing the neighbourhood (which I’m completely not proud of, I’m sorry if it was your property).

I sometimes think the heavy police presence during Farmers’ Days was a result of us doing bad deeds, but then again, many delinquent teens did the same before us, and many still do now.

The annual parade holds a bittersweet memory for me.

My younger brothers were often in the parade riding their BMX bikes with all the tassels and whatnot, and I would be filled with joy as they came around the corner. I would shout, “I know those kids. They are my brothers.”

But it was one particular year that remains at the top of my memories.

One year during the parade when I was a teenager, I woke up late and nearly missed the event.

I rushed out of my home and ran to the corner I knew my mom would be at since my brothers were again in the parade. When I finally found her, I noticed that she was upset.

It was on this day that I found out that my parents were getting a divorce. I’ve yet to watch another parade since. My brothers are too old to be in the parade now so I guess that’s another factor why. Maybe I’ll go this year.

I’m an adult now and I no longer have to be sneaky with my alcohol binging. No longer do the midway rides or the carnie games satisfy me. Now it’s all about the beer garden.

I remember the first year I turned 18, the beer gardens were cancelled due to excessive rowdiness. Disappointed, I returned the next year to finally experience something I once longed for as a kid.

Now that I’ve been to the beer gardens a few times, I’ll admit that I prefer the good old days. I guess the sense of adventure from trying not to get caught with my delinquent ways was the best part.

These days, I’ll just tip my beer back and enjoy reminiscing with old friends and people I haven’t seen for years while I’m at Farmers’ Days.

This year is special though. The earlier date means that the first day of Farmer’s Days will land on my birthday, so if anybody spots me at the exhibition grounds, be sure to buy me a cold one!

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