This summer marked the thirtieth anniversary of Ste. Agathe’s Cheyenne Summer Fest, held July 20–21, and Mother Nature responded with sunny skies and warm temperatures for the nearly 1,000 visitors to the two-day event.
“Every year we see more and more [people] coming from neighbouring communities of Niverville, St. Adolphe, St. Jean, St. Pierre, St. Malo, and Winnipeg,” says Joel Gagnon, committee chairperson for the last nine years. “The weather could not have been better.”
The committee is comprised of 13 hard-working, community-minded individuals who, Gagnon says, did a remarkable job once again this year.
The committee relies on the help of approximately 80 local volunteers to pull the event off without too many hiccups along the way.
Friday night kicked off with a parade winding down the community’s main street. Beer gardens, games, and music followed at Cartier Park. The night sky came alive with a colourful pyrotechnics display by Big Top Fireworks.
“Friday night had a slight change to the program,” says Gagnon. “Instead of the pioneer games, we hosted a Family Feud game night that had many participants, both young and old. It was very successful.”
Saturday morning opened with a pancake breakfast accompanied by live musician Logan Picton. Fuelled for another day of activities, the community was geared up for one of their favourite traditions: baseball.
“The family baseball tournament stresses the inclusion of family members and children to participate, and this was successful once again this year,” Gagnon says. “The Lemoine family ultimately took home the top prize.”
Event goers could also participate in a horseshoe tournament and organized family and children’s activities. Lucky Luc’s pulled out all the stops to provide a delectable pork dinner alongside both live and deejay music throughout the evening.
“Saturday evening featured a theme night, Toga Party, with many people getting into the spirit of the theme and showing off their creativity with togas in full force,” Gagnon quips. “Saturday night also featured the band Les Enfants de Cheyenne. [These are] local guys that first performed at Cheyenne some 20 years ago, so it was awesome to see the reunion!”
While the goal of the festival is to provide a fun way for neighbours to get to know neighbours, Gagnon says that the committee also works hard to incorporate elements of the community’s francophone heritage throughout the weekend, providing visitors with a unique look at Ste. Agathe’s rich culture.
“This is important to showcase our heritage, specifically for newcomers to our town so they gain an appreciation of where we live and the pride of this community,” Gagnon concludes.
