A familiar attraction at the Portage Ex got a colourful new look this summer, thanks to a Winnipeg mural artist who transformed an aging fun house into a celebration of pop culture.

Rachel Lancaster spent about three weeks repainting the Select Shows fun house ahead of the 2026 fair season, creating a bright pink-themed design filled with recognizable characters and playful details.

Artist brings previous Portage projects to new carnival attraction

Lancaster is no stranger to Portage la Prairie, having previously completed several mural projects in the community, including work at Southport Bowl, Wee World Daycare, Central Plains Cancer Services and What’s the Scoop?

She said the opportunity to paint the Select Shows fun house came after the owner reached out about updating the attraction, which previously featured older cartoon artwork.

Watch Rachel Lancaster paint the fun house below:

“He had an old fun house that was starting to look super old,” Lancaster said. “He contacted me a couple years ago, and then it kind of fell through for a little while.”

The project moved forward earlier this year, with Lancaster painting the exterior of the attraction over the course of January.

From clowns to a pop culture party

The original idea involved covering the fun house with clowns, inspired by the owner’s appreciation for famous clown performer Emmett Kelly.

Lancaster said she suggested taking the design in a different direction.

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Instead, Lancaster created a “Club 67” theme, imagining the characters as if they were all attending a big party.

The mural features a mix of current and classic pop culture references, including characters inspired by Pokémon, Minecraft, K-pop Demon Hunters, Trolls, SpongeBob SquarePants, Mario, Batman, Gabby’s Dollhouse and retro favourites like Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake.

Lancaster said she wanted the attraction to feel welcoming for younger visitors.

“The vibe of the fun house is like they’re playing fun music and you’re just supposed to walk through and have fun,” she said.

A detailed project completed by hand

The mural was completed using exterior house paint after the ride was cleaned, primed and prepared by the Select Shows crew.

Lancaster said the project required careful attention to detail, especially because many of the characters needed to be instantly recognizable.

“Kids are really particular,” she said. “That one I took a lot of care to make sure, because everything I do is freehand.”

Lancaster estimates she spent between 60 and 70 hours on the project.

The finished attraction quickly caught attention at the Portage Ex, where Lancaster said people were excited to see the artwork.

The artist added that some visitors even believed she was inside the attraction painting during the fair because her name was displayed on the side.

“They thought that I’m inside painting,” she said. “They ask for me all the time.”

Murals become a full-time career

Lancaster has been painting murals professionally for nearly 15 years.

Her work includes commercial murals, residential projects and artwork in dementia care facilities. She said social media has also become an important part of growing her business.

Watch Rachel Lancaster paint a mural at Wee World Daycare below:

“If you’re in 2026 and you want to be a small business, you have to be online,” Lancaster said.

Videos showcasing her mural projects have helped her work reach a wider audience, including a Simpsons-themed mural she painted that gained millions of views online.

She said time-lapse videos and social media posts help connect her artwork with potential customers.

More Portage projects could be ahead

While she currently has projects planned around Winnipeg, Lancaster said there could be another Portage mural in the future.

For now, she said the Select Shows fun house remains one of her favourite projects because of the challenge and the reaction from families.

“I love that one because it was a challenge, it was fun and it was different,” Lancaster said. “It was a good one.”