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Ag Society planning 50th anniversary celebration in 2022

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The Spruce Grove and District Agricultural Society is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

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The local organization came before council Monday evening to discuss the initial planning of anniversary festivities taking place next year in 2022, and request to partner with the City of Spruce Grove for the event.

“The Spruce Grove and District Agricultural Society is celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2022,” said Lori Sewell, chair of the SGDAS’s 50th anniversary committee. “Agriculture, an important aspect of every day life, may not look like it did 50 years ago, but the importance of it has remained.”

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The society’s vision for its 50th anniversary includes celebrating the history of the society, the people who help to keep the society active, and to educate and bring awareness to the residents in Spruce Grove and surrounding areas and municipalities.

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The Spruce Grove and District Agricultural Society was formed on May 5, 1972.

Celebrations for the 50th anniversary will begin on May 7, 2022, and will primarily focus on the founding and long-term members of the society, with their hard work and years of dedication celebrated, and sharing their stories.

In her presentation Monday, Sewell noted several aspects of the anniversary celebration next year that will help mark the special, half-century milestone next spring and summer.

“An historical mural will be painted on our new display shed and will be unveiled on May 7,” she said. “Concluding that anniversary celebration, we will have an invitation, honourary dinner.”

When the society was originally formed, there was a commitment made to host the Agra Fair for 25 years. The Agra Fair was so successful that it continued and the society hosted a total of 30 fairs over the years, with the last Agra fair held in 1994.

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“The society today would like to increase that number to 31 years and perhaps many more,” said Sewell. “Our vision for August (2022) is to bring back the Agra Fair, which includes the pancake breakfast, the parade, the band shows, midway, fireworks, contests and the prizes. Many residents of Spruce Grove and from our surrounding areas will be able to take a walk down memory lane.”

Two other regular events, organized and hosted by the society’s events committee, will take place next summer at the Ag Society elevator site in Spruce Grove. Flapjacks at the Tracks and a community garage sale will take place in June and in July they will be hosting the Children’s’ Carnival.

“Both of these events will be used to promote and bring momentum to our grand event, which will be the Agra Fair in August,” explained Sewell.

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Aside from their financial contribution, the society is asking that dignitaries from the City be in attendance at both the anniversary celebration on May 7 and at the Agra Fair on August 27, 2022. They are also asking to use City owned properties including the Agrena, Central Park, the run track behind Ecole Broxton Park School and the field at Brookwood School, for the anniversary festivities next summer.

The Spruce Grove and District Agricultural Society is looking forward to partnering with the City of Spruce Grove and will be working to gather support in the way of volunteers and financial aid from them and local businesses in and around the city.

“The 50th Anniversary Agra Fair is very dear to the hearts of members of the society,” said Sewell. “You can be assured that a 110 per cent effort will be made by our volunteers to make 2022 a very special and amazing year for the society and all our partnering stakeholders.”

kjean@postmedia.com

http://twitter.com/globetrekker360

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