It's event time

Last weekend a nearby community had an airshow. On the Sunday morning we had some rain and a thundershower. For a while in our house we played a little game trying to figure out if the rumbling in the sky was thunder or one of the planes. Luckily it cleared up later in the day and apparently the air show was a success. This is also important to note because this was the first year without any US planes since the budget cuts grounded all participation in airshows across the US and Canada. The organizers here had to get creative and found pilots and planes from across Canada (or independent American planes/pilots not government funded).

Usually we have participation from the USAF Thunderbirds and the USN Blue Angels but we filled the sky with the Canadian Snowbirds and the Canadian Army SkyHawks parachuting team. And a special visit from the Ice Pilots now popularized by the TV show. Our airshow is listed in the top ten across North America - the only Canadian airshow listed, and right up there with the Oshkosh EAA Airventure, the British Royal International Air Tattoo and the Reno Air Races, according to a February 2103 USA Today article. Not bad, is it?

We didn't go this year, but did see a little bit of it from our houses. I'm glad the event was a success.

This weekend our community is having a country music festival. The papers have reported that there were reservations from across Canada  - including Labrador  - and as far south as Louisiana. I'm not a country music fan so I didn't go and after trying to get around town following lost motorhomes I decided I'd just wait it out until the visitors left but I am glad to hear that despite high gas prices and  tight budgets people are still getting out and about and enjoying these things.

This weekend is also the start of Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition which used to be more of a farm type fair but is now more of a games and ride type of event including several Showmart building where vendors try to convince us we can't live without their ShamWow, or Ginsu Knife  or vacuum cleaner or special mop. And of course there is the food that we all allow ourselves to indulge in once a year - the mini donuts, the elephant ears the cotton candy, corndogs and lemonade.

What's your favourite local summer events?