FRANCHERE - Just as the leaves turn to shades of red, orange and yellow and the days become shorter and colder, the 10th annual Franchere Fall Fair will be getting underway, Sept. 16.
Natalie Heffner, who sits on the planning board for the popular yearly event, confirmed that there will be no shortage of events to keep attendees entertained, including a petting zoo, balloon darts, a silent auction, and bouncy houses.
The Redneck Relay, one of signature events of the Franchere Fall Fair, will also be taking place again this year.
“The Redneck Relay always attracts quite a few spectators,” Heffner told Lakeland This Week. “The two-person teams who enter participate in timed events such as hammering nails into logs and pushing heavy haybales, as well as using massive saws to cut logs. Whichever team has the best time wins half the money.”
There will be plenty of activities for children and youth to choose from, including lawn bowling, a frisbee toss and more. Those who play 10 games receive prizes such as blowup toys and stuffed animals.
This year’s edition of the Franchere Fall Fair, which is set to kick off at 1 p.m., also features a corn maze, though not the kind people typically get to experience at such outdoor events.
“The corn maze is not constructed out of an actual cornfield, but on the local ball diamond and built entirely out of palettes with corn put through it,” Heffner explained.
The petting zoo will feature animals brought in from Stettler. There is also a cakewalk that involves participants playing a unique version of musical chairs, with the winners being awarded with baked goods such as muffins, cookies, and cakes.
In keeping with the theme of the fall harvest, there is also a competition to judge who has the largest turnip in the region.
“Each year, we pick a new vegetable, and this year, it’s the biggest turnip,” Heffner continued. “The turnip will be measured, and the winner gets $100. There are usually around 10 entries for this event.”
The Franchere Fall Fair continues to grow in popularity.
“More people have been coming out from near and far,” she said. “Our numbers have tripled since the end of the pandemic.”
