An annual tradition in the southwest is going to look very different this year thanks to the impact of COVID-19.

In a press release yesterday, the Swift Current Ag & Ex announced that their annual Frontier Days will be going virtual.

Swift Current Online talked with General Manager Tracey Stevenson about what a virtual fair will look like and how long it has been in the planning phase.

"Frontier days has been a part of our community for 82 years and we still want to be a part of the community, and we want to keep everybody's community spirit up.  So when we had to cancel frontier days live we decided you know what we're still going to do something virtual. (So we) sat down at the table and just come up with some different ideas."

In the release, they talk of engaging the community in order to be creative and participate from home.

Some of the virtual events that are hoping will do that include:

  • Spirit of the West Parade Tour;
    • A self-guided driving or walking tour of decorated homes and businesses in the city.
  • Blast From the Past Talent Show Contest;
    • Contestants send in their best cover song performance of their favourite past Frontier Days entertainer.
  • Taste the Fair Week;
    • An opportunity for residents to seek out local eateries serving fair-style foods like mini-donuts, elephant ears, corn dogs and candy apples.
  • The Barbering Co. "Bring'n Back the Beard" Contest.
    • A tradition from the early days of the Frontier Days festival, a beard-growing contest created to boost morale in 1938 and now brought back for a COVID-19 summer

"The beard contest actually started in 1938 and it was brought forward to boost community spirit. And that's when Swift Current was known as the 'bearded city' and it became national news. So we decided that this is a great time to bring this back. There have been many people out there growing their COVID-19 beards so we thought you know what let's jump on this and have some fun with it."

A colouring contest, poster design contest and T-Shirt design contest are also on tap to engage virtual fairgoers, as well as a Frontier Days Film Reel which will show restored videos and films from Frontier Days' past on the Ag & Ex's YouTube page.

"We are just in the process of getting those developed. They'll be historical reels from the past. We have some records of Frontier Days in 1938 that we hope to bring back live on our YouTube channel. It's part of our history and (we) just want to keep it alive. We're going to be posting other videos like (that) from previous years throughout the month of May and June; just for people to view and get their minds off of COVID."

For Stevenson and the Swift Current Ag & Ex, the alternative of not having a Frontier Days celebration at all was one that they did not want to contemplate. Once the announcement had been made that the physical aspects of the fair were cancelled, they immediately began looking for alternatives.

"There was a bit of a challenge coming up with different ideas but there are lots of things you can do virtually and still experience some fun."

The importance of a tradition like Frontier Days to the southwest, in her opinion, can't be understated.

"That was partially why frontier days got started was because of the depression; In 1938 it was to lift the spirits of the community and the whole southwest. So we still want to continue with that. We're still here. Not here in the same capacity that we normally are but we're still here for the community and that's part of our mandate; providing entertainment to our community and support for our community. So it's very important to us and we want to get through this together and we just thought it's time to lift the spirits and have a little fun, but do it in a safe way."

She added that, even if restrictions were to be lifted today, it would still be far too late to plan a traditional fair. But that they are looking to get back to normal operations in 2021.

To connect with the Virtual Frontier Days, which run from June 22 - 27, follow the Swift Current Ag & Ex on Facebook @KineticPark or Instagram @scagex or check out their website at www.swiftcurrentex.com.