The Regina fair in late July or early August has been known by many names over the past few decades: Buffalo Days, the Queen City Ex, Sidney Applebaum.
But for as long as they’ve been around - and as long as we’ve lived in Saskatchewan - it’s always been a tradition for myself and my two boys to attend and completely get lost there for a day. I’ve had the good fortune to have weekdays off the last two years so we’re not hitting the fair at its horribly busy peak on Friday or the weekend.
We’ve also missed the worst of the weather but we’ve also gone on days when there’s been scattered showers and wind that makes you think about the safety of some of the rides.
My oldest, a 12-year-old can ride until the cows come home, and given that the Ex has strong agricultural roots in its beginning years he may actually have been able to do that in the past. There is no ride he can’t overdo, nothing he’s scared of and it’s been that way since he was tall enough to ride them. He’s not as adventurous in other ways (try getting him off his phone and stop watching YouTube parody videos of popular songs with video game themes), but his desire to ride the rides at the fair for as long as they’re open hasn’t abated whatsoever.
On more than one occasion he’s been the last one riding on the last ride open on the Sunday (final day) of the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair.
My youngest, at 8 now, is a different story. Interested in skateboarding and parkour, he likes to watch and sees himself doing it at some point but is far too afraid to actually follow through. Some of the rides at the fair are too much for him, and even though this year he’ll be tall enough to do most of the rides I really don’t see him joining his brother for very much of the adventurous rides that throw you inside out and upside down.
But more importantly for me at least, now they’re 12 and 8 years old. The fair tradition that we’ve continued through the separation of their mom and myself hasn’t been tarnished yet but there will come a time when the rides aren’t as exciting and the food will cost more because they’re eating way more. We’re coming close to the point where they won’t even need me to guide them around and make them try all the rides, attractions and food, in much the same way the oldest doesn’t really need me hanging out at the pool with him but I’m there for the youngest and the oldest tags along.
What they used to call ‘Buffalo Days’ represents the apex of summer. Soon after this long weekend, the real shopping for back to school stuff will start. We’ll be back in the planning stages for fall activities, make that last minute purchase of gym and school shoes (kids who are 12 can grow three shoe sizes in the summer) and be back at the school grind once again.
But this one day this week, this year feels like things are changing. This week might be the last real time we get to enjoy it as an inseparable group of three. And I hope I can remember to properly savour these moments this week
And when they get a chance to take their kids to the fair in the hopefully reasonably distant future, they remember these fair days for the unbridled joy that they were.
