Good afternoon my name is Jacqueline Friesen and my parents are Don and Karen. I am sponsored by Hair�s the Place in Winkler. Today I�d like to take you through the childhood memories I have of the weekend experience I�ve enjoyed for years.
Saturday morning, I wake up good and early, and head over to the Credit Union for the pancake breakfast. Standing in line for over an hour, my family and I finally receive our delicious pancakes and sausage. In a hurry as usual, I quickly wolf them down and run for a spot on the Main Street curb. Minutes go by like hours as I wait for the first glimpse of the parade. Finally the parade passes by as my sisters and I sit there slowly filling up our plastic bags with candy and coupons.
After the parade we return home to spray on bug spray and drop off our loot. My family and I then walk over to the park to take in the festivities. First up we head for the food booths to pick up some greasy fries and burgers. (For some reason grease always tastes good on the Harvest Festival weekend.)
Then we split up, each going our separate ways. My parents leave for the rodeo while we dash to the stage for the Queen pageant talent show. Half way through the talent show, as expected, my sister and I get hungry. We scramble back to the rodeo corral in a hope to find our parents with money. After scanning every bleacher in the place we find them, and money. Quickly we dash for the cotton candy stand and then back to the stage.
At the end of the talent show we walk back to the rodeo and join our parents in the bleachers. In the scorching heat, we don�t sit long before we�re off and running to the pluck-a-duck, the only game Lynn and I like playing cause you ALWAYS win!! For only one dollar we pick a duck and win a prize. With our worthless toys in hand we scurry off to meet our parents in line for the free potato and sausage supper. Finding some friends under a combine we spread out our picnic blanket and relish in the delicious food and company.
Not long after completing our potatoes my sister and I realize it�s seven o�clock, time to buy our ride bracelets. We grab some money and head for the booth. After spending hours on the rides and feeling sick to our stomachs we race back to the stage to take in the crowning. As predicted, the Queen is not who my sisters and I think it should be. Oh well.
Looking around we realize it�s getting dark and it�s almost time for the fireworks. So we park ourselves on the back of the hill and look up at the sky. Thousands of lights illuminate the sky in radiant colors. People all around us oooh and ahhhhhh. And the festival comes to a close. At least until tomorrow morning.
