Entertainment

The Ponoka County Fair is just around the corner and is a time to celebrate the importance of agriculture in the community. The fair will run Aug. 8 to 10 at the Ponoka Recreation and Culture Complex and some events at the Ponoka Stampede Grounds.

Winner of the Great Makeover Reveal, Marie Smith didn’t think she would win the contest when she was nominated by her friend of 14 years Alicia Hill but when she did win she was quite excited and didn’t know what to expect.

In her new album ‘Perfekt World’ singer and songwriter Clara Lofaro brings two worlds together under one roof on her latest cd. Lofaro combines traditional and modern styles of music to create soulful and upbeat tracks that will appeal to a large variety of people.

Canadian Idol runner up Jaydee Bixby, is no longer in second place as his debut album Cowboys and Cadillacs was number one on the National Country Music charts (Nielsen SoundScan for top selling albums) for the week ending July 17. The album hit stores on July 8 and in the first week sold 4,096 albums. On the Top 100 chart, which covers all genres of music Bixby’s album debuted in eighth place, which is higher than Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo’s debut album.

Bars, nightclubs and other drinking establishments will undergo some changes when it comes to serving alcohol. The new province-wide rules will not allow cheap drink specials, limit last-call drink orders and regulate the duration of happy hours.

Bernard Lentz of Ponoka was recently named the best-dressed western cowboy at the Alberta Good Sam Samboree in Strathmore. From Ponoka seven RVs went to Strathmore to join more than 500 RVs at the Samboree. The Good Sams are from Canada and the United States with RVs of any type who try to camp once a month all over the country.

Ponoka’s competitive soccer teams participated in the Annual Night Classic Tournament in Camrose, June 13 to 15. Each team was treated to the thrill of playing ‘under the lights’, with games beginning anywhere from 9:30 p.m. to as late as midnight.

Feet were stomping, two stepping and twirling on the Ponoka Stampede grounds during the Entertainment and Talent Night immediately following the chuckwagon races on June 30. Ten performers from around Alberta took the stage and showed Ponoka a good time with a strong variety of songs.

Ponoka County had a blast ridding the waterways of beaver dams on July 3. Explosives Ltd. put on the training and successfully took out four beaver dams that posed a problem to the surrounding area. “Beaver and beaver dam control in the County can be controversial,” said Shayne Steffen manager of agricultural services. “Beavers can be friend of foe depending on where their dams are located.

Juno award nominee Gord Bamford took the stage at the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex on June 27 and 28. Hundreds of people packed into the arena for an evening of entertainment, dancing and socializing.