Aldergrove Festival Days is a non-profit group that puts on Aldergrove’s largest entertainment event, Aldergrove Fair Days, on the last weekend in July every year.

The theme of this year's Aldergrove Fair, July 24 to 26, reflects the fact that 150 years ago the Royal Engineers were surveying the road to Yale. That road runs through Aldergrove and later, Royal Engineer Philip Jackman became Aldergrove’s first settler.

It’s going to be an incredible weekend and a great reflection on Aldergrove’s past.

This year's special features include:

• Military heritage exhibits and re-enactments, historical equipment, uniforms and much more.

• Canadian Fast Draw Championships with shooters from all over Canada and the USA.

• Antique Tractor Pull, a perennial crowd favourite.

• Tin Whistle Ensemble — last year Aldergrove set a Guinness world record, this year we aim to break it.

• Artisan’s Showcase — a return of last year’s very popular special with lots of new artisans too.

• Mainstage Entertainment — something for (nearly!) everyone's taste.

• Trebuchet Contest — build a medieval catapult and watch those castle walls come down.

• Aldergrove’s 97th Annual Agricultural Fair and Exhibits, Fireworks, the Parade, Kidzone Entertainment and more to be announced.

"We look forward to having you as part of this year’s Fair," said Mike Robinson, president of Aldergrove Festival Days, and Dan Deyette, president of Aldergrove Agricultural Association..

BUILD A TREBUCHET

This year the fair hosts its first Trebuchet Contest, an opportunity to build a medieval style catapult and then hurl water balloons at cardboard castles.

The Trebuchet Contest is open to teams of four to six people. There will be a maximum of six teams so register early. Teams must include one adult. People looking for information on Trebuchets should consult the internet:

http://www.teamurbansiege.com/index.html is an excellent site with plans, photos and more.

Saturday, July 25: Build the Trebuchet from 1 to 6 p.m. All materials provided to build a Trebuchet of similar size and construction to the photo. Fully loaded and well tuned, your trebuchet will fire water balloons hundreds of feet. Builders are welcome to use the material in whatever way they wish to hurl the balloons.

Material supoplied for each team: 10 8-foot lengths of 2x4, one 10-foot length of 2x6 for the arm, a 24” x 1.5” steel pipe for the axle, 30 3/8” x 4” bolts, one pound of 3-inch screws, half a sheet of ¼” plywood for reinforcing joints and making the box for the counterweight, eyebolts and hooks for triggers, rope and leather for the pouch, and sand for the counterweight.

Sunday, July 26: Action from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Following inspections by the HouseSmart Guy Shell Busey and fine-tuning of construction including test firing, there will be a grand shootout to knock down cardboard castles with water balloons.

Questions? Call Mike Robinson, president of Aldergrove Festival Days, phone 604-607-7790 or email mrdesign@shaw.ca

FAIR DAYS SPONSORS SOUGHT

We need your support, but we appreciate that times are a little more difficult for many this year. To help you (as well as help the fair) we have been working on new ways to make it good for everyone.

Your kids probably want those all-day passes to ride the rides, while you and your spouse might enjoy an afternoon sitting in the sun watching premium entertainment and chatting to the neighbours.

On the other hand, your accountant wants you to cut costs and increase sales.

Well, how about some great publicity for your business and for free we’ll throw in an all weekend pass to the fair for your whole family, parking in the exhibitor's carpark near the gate and all-day passes for the Westcoast Amusement rides.

From your accountant's perspective you will have purchased an advertising package for your business that will put your name in front of thousands of people. From your family's perspective, you have given them a fantastic weekend. What a deal.

It’s a new package we are calling “Friends of the Fair.”

Gold level sponsorship of $1,000 or higher is available. There is also the new Shell Busey sponsorship. Shell has a Home Handyman radio program on AM730 and his charge of $2,000 includes talking about the Fair on Saturday's radio show and coming out to do a Home Handyman Show at the Aldergrove Fair on Sunday.

Naming rights for this event are available. Sponsors will get:

• Event naming rights on the program, media releases and posters,

• Clickable logo on website,

• Advertisement on map page of program,

• 8-foot by 4-foot billboard space in a prominent location,

• Three family fair passes including six ride passes,

• All the radio time Shell’s show has.

For information on Aldergrove Fair Days sponsorship call Mike Robinson, president of Aldergrove Festival Days, at 604-607-7790 or Dan Deyette, president of Aldergrove Agricultural Association, at 604-856-1223.