July Issue 105
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The Langdon Days event
that exists now is derived from fairs of the past. Little bits and pieces have
evolved into what we see today.
The first agricultural
fair was held on the park grounds donated by CP Rail in 1912. This fair was as
you would expect: horse racing, a rodeo, a stock show, ball tournaments
(comedic and serious), and horseshoe tournaments. For the ladies, there were
handcraft exhibits, baking, and preserving competitions. And, for the whole family,
there were races with cash prizes. While taking in the festivities, families
enjoyed booths operated by the Oddfellow’s Lodge, Church groups, and Women’s
Institute, selling goodies like lemonade, hot dogs, ice cream and chocolate
bars (amongst other things). The very busy day was brought to a close with an
evening dance.
When the agricultural
fairs ended, school fairs began. The first was in 1925 and the last was held in
1939. These fairs were only for the school children, who would place entries
into various competitions. All entries had to be products, stock or poultry,
which student raised and looked after on their own (very similar to the 4H
competitions of today). Categories included: baking, garden vegetables, stock,
chickens, pigs, and grain. In the evenings the schools entered judged
competitions of short plays, recitation, songs, and even a yelling contest (to
see which school was the loudest). Makes me wonder if we had the same
competition today, would Sarah Thompson or Langdon School win?
In the early 1930’s,
Langdon began hosting an annual Sports Day, which was held in August each year.
Like the Agricultural Fairs of earlier days there were races, tug-a-wars, ball and
horseshoe tournaments. As in days past, the day ended with a dance.
The year was 1955 and
in celebration of Alberta’s Golden Jubilee, Langdon saw its first parade. Not
much different from the parade we still enjoy today, floats were entered by
local merchants, organizations, churches, and school children, along with few
individuals. The parade started at the IOOF Hall and ended at the fairgrounds,
where Sports Day included a ball tournament between the Langdon Ball Team and
the Langdon Spinsters (local men dressed as women).
Today not much has
really changed, Sports Day has been renamed Langdon Days and is now held in
July instead of August. We still enjoy the ball tournament (and like in the
past, it’s not always serious), the parade, food vendors, exhibits, children’s
activities, and music.
If you’re interested in
learning more about Langdon’s history, I encourage you to read The Langdon
Legend, which was compiled by the Langdon Women’s Institute. This is where I
learned all about the origins of Langdon Days. You can find a link to the
online document at www.goodlucktown.ca under the ‘Home’ tab, ‘About Langdon’.
I look forward to
seeing everyone out and enjoying the festivities. Please stay safe and don’t
drink and drive.
Written by: Tanya Creamer
Langdon Community Association Vice President
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