Planning under way for annual Fair Days bench show

By Rob Vogt

The second weekend in August will be here before you know it, so planning is well under way by the Claresholm Fair Board for the 2025 Claresholm and District Bench Show.
This year’s bench show will take place at the Claresholm Community Centre on Friday night, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9.
The bench show is an opportunity every year, during Fair Days weekend in August, for people to enter their best baking, art, crafts, photography, and much more in various categories to be judged and prizes awarded.
The categories are outlined in a catalogue which will be available at select locations around town as well as on the town’s website at www.townofclaresholm.com. The previous catalogue is on the website for people to get an idea.
The bench show also has featured a number of activities in the past including the Friday night pet show; president’s pie contest; paper airplane toss; money sand pile; local entertainment; a petting zoo and more.
As spring starts and people are getting back outside and planting flowers, they are encouraged to enter their yards and gardens in the various sections of the bench show, such as the decor section and balcony gardens.
Yard and garden judging will take place in the middle of July.
The fair board is always looking for volunteers as well, to sit on the board and also for two to three hours on the days of the bench show.
To learn more about the bench show, the next fair board meeting is Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. in the Bill Simpson Room of the Claresholm Public Library.
Anyone interested in more information or volunteering can contact Syd Gray, president of the fair board, at 403-625-2132.