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Westerner Days sees 3,000 more visitors over last year

Jul 23, 2018 | 4:39 PM

Officials say 93,543 visitors took in the 2018 edition of the Westerner Day Fair and Exposition.

That’s up about 3,000 people from last year’s head count of 90,553.

Saturday drew the largest crowd with over 21,000 people going through the gates, followed closely by both Thursday and Friday, with over 20,000 attendees each day.

The Westerner Days record of 102,665 attendees was set in 2012. 

This year’s Westerner Days had over 20 off-site events throughout Red Deer, which saw thousands of people enjoying pancake breakfasts and charity BBQs, as well as the BIG 105.5 and 106.7 The Drive Chili Cook-Off and the sixth annual Peavey Mart Barn Dance.

Forty  chuckwagons competed in the Red Deer Motors North American Pony Chuckwagon Championships. Reed Rosencrans, sponsored by The Pipe Yard, took the five-night aggregate title with a running time of 387.58 seconds. Jack Stott, sponsored by The Home Place, came in third place with 388.73 seconds, and also won the $2,500 Dash For Cash race on the final night of races.

Marty Maxwell, sponsored by Prairie Water & Equipment Sales, finished first in the chariot races with a final time of 225.50, making him the winner of the Parkland Nursery & Landscape Services Buckle.