Ten minutes of rain didn’t stop anyone from attending the Interior Provincial Exhibition and Stampede (IPE) this year in Armstrong. In fact, the 120th annual IPE saw record breaking numbers.
The fair had its biggest attendance in history at a whopping 160,500 people.
On top of the huge attendance, the IPE also diverted away more than 20,000 pounds of garbage away from the landfills through its composting program. The 20,668 pounds of trash blows away last years record of 17,500.
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The composting program was made possible through a partnership with Spa Hills and support from Regional District of North Okanagan’s grant. The IPE gave special thanks to Keli Westgate of Spa Hills and the Girl Guides of Canada who spent time and lots of energy hauling the garbage away from the fair grounds.
Nearly 45,000 plastic bottles were also diverted from the landfill via the IPE’s first ever water refilling stations. All together, 22,102 litres of water were dispensed.
“It was a huge success and I am still hearing how much fun everyone had at the fair this year,” general manager Yvonne Paulson said.
Next year’s fair will run Sept. 2-6, 2020. The dates are a tad later due to the late Labour day.
“We look forward to seeing you next year at the 121st IPE,” Paulson said.
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Caitlin.clow@vernonmorningstar.com
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