Five things to check out at Virgil Stampede
The unofficial start to summer returns this weekend as the Virgil Stampede rolls into Niagaraon-the-Lake. The 52nd annual event, put on by the Virgil Business Association, will take place at Virgil Sports Park over three days, Saturday to Monday.
Here’s a rundown of five things you won’t want to miss at this year’s stampede.
Demolition derby: It’ll be a smashin’ and crashin’ good time when Thrill Show Productions brings its demolition derby to the stampede. This wild ride gets underway Saturday, with three popular events: full-sized straight stock, mini smash and a four-cylinder figure-8 race. The show starts at 4 p.m.
Rides: With ferris wheels and bumper cars, the Scrambler and mazes, nothing says summer quite like a midway. Homeniuk Rides brings its family-oriented midway amusements back to Virgil for three days of fun. Besides the rides, there will also be games and festival fare like fresh lemonade and cotton candy.
Vendor market: Making its debut at the stampede is the vendor market, which will be outside (weather dependent) or inside Meridian Arena in the case of a poor forecast. More than 40 vendors will be on hand, offering up something for everyone — all weekend long.
Miniature horse show: Show horses returned to the stampede last year after an absence of nearly two decades, and they’ll be back again this year. Miniature horses will be on full display during the show on Monday, with an expected 30 to 40 horses joining the competition.
Fireworks: What better way to cap off the long weekend than with a light show in the sky. The firework display on Victoria Day is a crowd favourite and a tradition dating back more than 50 years. The fireworks wrap up the stampede, beginning about 9:30 p.m.
For a full schedule of events and more information, visit virgilstampede.com.