Interior Provincial Exhibition gets back to its roots

The B.C. Interior’s largest agricultural fair is ready for visitors when the gates open on Wednesday morning for the 121st edition of the Interior Provincial Exhibition (IPE).

The theme for the five-day event in Armstrong, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, is “Our Roots Run Deep.”

The fair is returning after two years of COVID-19 cancellations.

“We are so excited to see everybody, not only our guests, but vendors that have been coming for years and new vendors, all the animals, our friends at West Coast Amusements and the lumberjack show. You talk to them on the phone, but just to see them in this environment, we are excited about it,” general manager, Heather King, told Vernon Matters.

Westcoast Lumberjack show. (Image credit: IPE/Facebook)

Fair attendees can expect many of their favourites to return like the midway, food court, entertainment stage, commercial booths, exhibitors hall, 4-H livestock demonstrations and displays, light and heavy horse shows and the rodeo, which this year includes a professional bull riding (PBR) event on Sunday.

The popular Westland Insurance IPE parade winds through downtown Armstrong on Saturday morning starting at 10 a.m.

IPE parade (Image credit: IPE/Facebook)

The 4-H exhibits will be a little smaller this year, as the program recovers from COVID restrictions.

“COVID was tough on everybody, but especially on the 4-H program. You meet monthly, you meet at stock shows, you meet with your leaders, and at speech competitions,” King said. “With two-years off, they don’t have the animals, and have even lost some clubs.”

King noted there are some new non-agriculture based 4-H clubs in the fair this year including a foods club and a sewing club.

One of the big attractions for urbanites is baby livestock and especially new born piglets.

“We actually have a momma kind of in labour right now, it is actually very tough to get a sow and litter this time of the year, because they are generally born in the spring,” King added.

A new attraction this year will be a cow nursery with baby calves for the public to interact with.

A major evening attraction at the fair is the professional rodeo, which will run timed and judged events Wednesday through Saturday evening with a PBR event on Sunday.

“New this year is ladies break-away roping with some of the same competitors that take part in barrel racing,” King said.

IPE Rodeo (Photo credit: IPE/Facebook)

The IPE expects the crowds will be large as the event returns from the COVID hiatus, and are encouraging everyone in advance to be patient, as there are also dozens of new volunteers.

“We have a lot of volunteers returning, and we put a call out early. We went to some farmers markets and talked to some people in the community and got quite a few new volunteers this year which is going to be exciting for them.” King said. “Everyone wants to help, everyone wants this event to just roll.”

For tickets and everything IPE, click here.