Double attendance and beautiful weather made for a fantastic Family Fun Day

The 4th Annual Family Fun Day was held on July 22 at the Blue Ridge Recreation Area from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Woodlands County puts on the event each summer to get families outdoors in the county together and having fun.

Several different tents were set up offering children and parents all sorts of activities.  The Alberta Agriculture and Forestry brought in their popular obstacle course which had children (and a few adults) dressing up as firefighters and running the course with hoses in tow.

The colours of the rainbow were everywhere thanks to Jacquie Paul as she spent the whole day painting arms and faces. No matter where you looked, beautiful masks, flowers, and wispy designs could be seen displayed on event goers. The sound of drums was also everywhere, thanks to Happy Tree creator, Leah Disney, who held an interactive drum circle.

Cactus Patch Ranch took folks on wagon rides with their two horse-drawn wagons.  They even had a couple of young foals along for the day which were a big hit. Also on hand was Fish and Wildlife with scat and fishing demonstrations.

Woodlands County provided free hot dogs and freezies to go along with the day’s events. After lunch, attendees made their way to the other side of the recreation area for a canoe ride. Life vests, canoes, and paddles were all provided, giving families the chance to get out on the water together. A few lucky paddlers even got to see the fish jumping as an extra bit of excitement.

“This is to celebrate families and the recreation areas,” said co-ordinator Heather Anderson, adding that attendance was way up with over 400 people coming by, double the number from last year. County Councillor (Anselmo) Sylvia Bonnett was one of those who came to enjoy the beautiful afternoon and said it was nice seeing everybody out visiting the recreation area saying, “It’ll bring people back in the future.”

To learn more about the Blue Ridge Recreation Area including directions and to keep up with all the events put on by Woodlands County, check out Facebook and www.woodlands.ab.ca.