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Seniors take the stage at Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Countryfest

Prime Timers Show Down featured Ridge Meadows Seniors Society groups
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Working closely with Ridge Meadows seniors organization, much more effort was made this year to include and attract the older population to Countryfest. (Roxanne Hooper/The News)

Seniors were front and centre at the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Countryfest this year.

Before the gates opened to the general public seniors in the community were offered a sneak peek into preparations for the annual festival at the Albion Fairgrounds.

Qualifying individuals were able to tour the barns to watch the 4-H Club members prepare their animals for competition and see some of the home arts entries.

The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie Seniors Network helped providing seating, free refreshments, and free entertainment provided by Phil Van Loo who performed some old-time country music.

“They were singing out there and some of them were dancing,” said fair manager Lorraine Bates, adding that there needs to be a dance floor next year.

There was so much interest that people started showing up to the fairgrounds at 2:30 p.m. for the event that started at 4 p.m., laughed Bates.

Also this year at the festival was the Prime Timers Show Down on Sunday, July 24, that featured a number of performers from the Ridge Meadows Seniors Society.

READ MORE: Seniors will get sneak peek into Maple Ridge’s Countryfest

ALSO: Pre-COVID attendance expected at this year’s Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Country Fest

This segment of the fair was inspired as Bates went to the local seniors facilities to talk about 4-H. Bates found out there were many interest groups that seniors were involved with including: line dancing; Hawaiian dancing, a ukulele group, and fitness class.

So she invited them to be part of the show, including Deborah Own, who emceed the stage for their performances.

The ukulele group asked how many people could perform and Bates said they could bring as many people as they wanted as long as they were part of the group.

“She said, well there’s 36 of us and we all need chairs,” chuckled Bates.

“That was really heart warming for me to see all those seniors up there,” she said.


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Working closely with Ridge Meadows seniors organization, much more effort was made this year to include and attract the older population to Countryfest. (Roxanne Hooper/The News)
29911114_web1_220727-MRN-CF-Seniors-Country-Fest-seniors_5
Working closely with Ridge Meadows seniors organization, much more effort was made this year to include and attract the older population to Countryfest. (Roxanne Hooper/The News)


Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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