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JOHN WOODS \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Charleen McCarthy, from left, with her children Blake and Brooklynn, and their friend Savannah Hanson, ride the Crazy Mouse roller coaster during the Red River Ex on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just have so many fun memories from when I was kid, so I just want to make sure that the kids get to enjoy it,\u201d said McCarthy, before the group went to line up for the swinging pirate ship ride at the bustling fair.<\/p>\n
The Ex gave free entry from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday and chief executive officer Garth Rogerson said it appears several thousand people came to get in without having to pay up.<\/p>\n
Good news, after the poor weather earlier in the weekend kept the number of attendees down, though Rogerson said it was still \u201ca great crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said 2,236 people came through the gates in the first hour of opening on Friday \u2014 entry was free for the first hour \u2014 even though it was raining.<\/p>\n
But the sunny skies on Sunday warmed Rogerson\u2019s heart, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing an outdoor event, we\u2019re always dependent on the weather, so days like today, where it\u2019s not too hot, it\u2019s sunny, beautiful, that\u2019s ideal fair weather, that\u2019s what we look for every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think today will be busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Attendees tend to spend less these days amid economic woes, said Rogerson, so free entry periods like on Friday and Sunday are a big draw.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing the impact of the economy, so these free days\u2026 are important, where people can come out and enjoy the fair without spending any money,\u201d said Rogerson.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose kinds of opportunities for the community are important, because a lot of people are excluded from participating in events because they can\u2019t afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fair is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and features 49 midway rides and around 60 food vendors, plus a slew of events, including musical acts, an art show, chainsaw carving, mechanical bull riding, wrestling, dog shows and a petting zoo, among other attractions.<\/p>\n
erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Erik Pindera Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.\u00a0 Read more about Erik<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Reporter
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