I’ve had a lot of firsts recently.
I attended my first Onion Lake powwow and my first Vermilion Fair.
I’ll start with the powwow. For one, I’ve never driven out to Onion Lake before, which was quite the trip.
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One thing I was excited to experience was crossing the George Franklin Baynton Bridge, which I’ve previously written about. Baynton advocated to have a bridge to connect the communities and worked hard to make it happen.
Getting to the powwow, the security line was quick (I got there early) and there was plenty of parking. It felt like a big-time event with all the vendors set up surrounded by campers as people settled into a weekend of culture and fun. As always, the grand entry and various competitions were a spectacle to see.
Moving to the Vermilion Fair, I’d heard people talk about how great the fair is for a small town, and I’m happy to report it delivered.
My wife and I attended on the second day. While I did miss out on the parade, I heard it was well attended as it usually is. Getting to the fairgrounds, everything was just getting set up, which added a cool look to the event.
The one thing that really caught me off guard was the vendor hall. I did not expect there to be so many vendors and it was crammed full of people. Also, having it inside was a nice touch so people could get away from the scorching sun.
The highlight for me was the lawnmower races. Seeing people drifting lawnmowers and kicking up dirt everywhere was amazing. I did have to be pretty careful with the dirt flying at me while I was near the track taking photos, not to mention the possibility of a lawnmower not making the turn.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see Caroline Parke on the showcase stage, a local singer/songwriter I interviewed last year ahead of her new album. The crowd was enjoying the performance as much as I was.
Overall, the fair and the powwow have been big highlights for my summer so far.
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