KAWARTHA LAKES-The 167th Lindsay Exhibition will be an in-person event from September 17th to 26th with a theme of “Celebrating our Community.”
Officials say all the favourites are returning – livestock shows, demolition derby, midway rides and games, a country music concert, The WoofJocks Canine All-stars, DooDoo the Clown, vendors, and fairfood. New events for 2021 will include evening rodeos, a horse scenting demonstration – horses trained to locate people in search and rescue, and a market turkey show.
The LEX has been stretched from the traditional 5 days to 10 to allow for social distancing and implementing COVID-19 safety protocols. People will be required to wear masks indoors and at the grandstand shows, including the country music concert. As well, capacity limits will be in place for buildings and the grandstand.
“We tried to find a balance between holding an authentic Lindsay Exhibition with all the elements that people expect,” said Harry Stoddart, General Manager of the LEX, “and minimising the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. We will be meeting or exceeding all the regulations put in place by the Ontario government and the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit. For example, all midway staff will be required to be fully vaccinated.”
Some of those protocols could change on September 22 as seemingly the virus will only spread after that date. The Province announced that effective September 22nd, people will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated to enter some events. Officials say the full regulations have not yet been released and therefore the Lindsay Agricultural Society can not determine whether the regulations will apply to part or all of the Lindsay Exhibition. The ticket sections have been divided into two sections. The first section has tickets for days before the new regulations comes into effect – those days on which proof of being fully vaccinated will not be required. The second section has tickets for days on which the new regulations will be in effect and patrons may be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated to enter the LEX or specific areas/events within the LEX.
Once the province releases the full regulations and the HKPR Health Unit has determined how the regulations will be applied to the Lindsay Exhibition, rules will be updated to explain which parts of the LEX will require proof of being fully vaccinated to enter.
Amberley Beatty will be returning to the LEX with her Patsy Cline tribute show as part of an entertainment line-up that will include a number of local bands and entertainment acts.
“We’re excited by the possibility of holding a traditional LEX and giving our community and exhibitors something to enjoy during these challenging times,” stated Lois Batty, President of the Lindsay Agricultural Society. “We already have 25 teams committed to the horse pull – almost double the field we had in 2019. We’ve been planning for almost a year to be able to hold as safe an event as possible during the pandemic.”
Free admission is planned on opening day – Friday September 17th, 2021 with the traditional parade and the full midway open for LEX goers.
Online entries are open for all the competitions at the LEX from livestock to homecraft to junior arts. Prize Books are available online or a limited number of hard copies are available at the LEX office. Tickets will be available online starting the first week of September. More details are available at www.LindsayEx.com and through the Lindsay Agricultural Society’s social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.