A parade, children’s activities and a weekend-long baseball tournament are among the draws as Goulais River’s annual Community Days festival runs through to Sunday

Goulais River Community Days are here again this weekend.

The annual three-day festival kicked off Friday at the Captain Tilley Community Centre and park.

This year’s activities are billed as Country Western Community Days.

Visitors are encouraged to wear cowboy hats.

“Every year, we have a new theme,” said Rhonda Bailey, a member of Goulais Area Recreation Inc. and longtime co-organizer of the annual Goulais River Community Days celebrations.

Saturday’s events included the annual parade featuring rural fire services trucks and private vehicles.

There was a climbing wall, a foam bath, a rope climb, face painting and other activities for children to enjoy.

A dunking booth was set up at the far side of the community centre.

Other highlights include a 16-team baseball tournament that started Friday and runs through to Sunday, an arm-wrestling competition Saturday and lawn mower races Sunday.

Approximately 40 vendors selling food, arts and crafts and collectibles were in attendance.

“That’s more than we’ve had in the past. We usually have 15 or 20 vendors,” Bailey said.

Admission to Goulais River Community Days is $5 for one day or $8 for the weekend.

Children three years of age and younger are admitted for free.

All proceeds from admission fees go to maintenance and upgrades at the Captain Tilley Community Centre and park.

This year’s celebration takes place in much warmer weather and under a sunnier sky.

Rain fell on last year’s festivities.

“Last year was nasty,” Bailey said.

“I’ve been involved with Community Days for over 30 years. We’ve only had two rainy years like that and it’s bad when it happens. This year is better.”

Bailey said she enjoys being a member of the Community Days organizing team and seeing her fellow Goulais River residents enjoy three days of fun.

“We work well together. I was on the organizing committee for Community Days for 20 years and they brought me back. It’s even more fun the second time around.”