100 years: Moose Jaw Exhibition.

What started out with pickles and pies has endured to become a year-round Moose Jaw institution focused on entertainment and education.

"That first fair was definitely agricultural in nature," says Moose Jaw Exhibition Board president Joyce Walter. The fair has changed considerably to meet the needs of society but retains a strong sense of the province's agricultural background.

The Moose Jaw Agricultural Society held its first fair in October of 1884. In later years it was bumped up to mid-July but is now held in mid-June each year to--once again--make room for agriculture, fitting

in between seeding and haying.

Walter believes one of the reasons for the fair's longevity is its balance between agricultural and other attractions. The midway rides are a big drawing card along with diverse food and multi-cultural displays.

"We're always on the lookout for new displays," she says. "A majority of our visitors are return visitors so you always want to keep it fresh. You also want to strike that balance so that people who came here as children have something familiar to come back to."

The Moose Jaw Exhibition Company has itself grown to be a full-time operation. Along with the fair--which will be held June 23-25 in 2006--the company's 15 employees work with 200 to 300 volunteers to provide entertainment and educational opportunities year-round.

"With the rodeo, the fair, the horse show, trade shows and building rentals, there is always something going on," Walter says. "We're also the home of the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owls Interpretive Centre, which puts on school programs and operates all year."