In Fernie, it could be argued that the holiday season is not the busiest time of the year. As I see it, the month of September rivals Christmas for that honour, with Labour Day long weekend being the kick off to the month.
This weekend, there are a plethora of events in Fernie, including one of the biggest social events of the year – the Lions Club Demolition Derby. I heard about the Derby, as it was cited as being the biggest party in Fernie, long before I even moved here. Last year, I attended the event as a reporter, and saw people I knew from high school that I didn’t even know lived here. As my friend put it, it’s probably the one chance you’ll have to see all of your friends in one spot until Griz Days.
Along with the Derby, which people have made into an all-day affair over the years, local events such as the annual Tears and Gears race and the Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam are also this weekend.
This is the seventh year the Wam Bam competition has been scheduled, and it has become one of the biggest events of the summer, with professional bikers from all over British Columbia coming to Fernie to participate in the event.
Although the leaves have already started to change their colours, and it feels like things should be calming down for the fall, September is eventful. Next weekend, there is the Fernie Chautauqua and the second annual Feast and Fest, hosted by the Fernie & District Historical Society and Wildsight. There are multiple bike races into September, including the annual Dirt Diggler, the Poker Ride and the Project 9 race.
Fall also sees a variety of charitable events, starting next week with the SuperWalk for Parkinson’s in Sparwood, which organizer Terry Hume says is bigger than previous years. There are the Terry Fox events, in Sparwood as well as in Fernie, and the STARS Golf Tournament, a friendly golf tournament with the goal of raising money for the STARS air ambulance.
While this time of year is typically considered to be the shoulder season for businesses throughout the valley, the fall season offers a great time for transitioning from the summer activities to the winter festivities. Between taking down your birdfeeders, fertilizing your lawn and swapping your lawnmower for your snowblower, take some time to enjoy the fall festivities! I know all will – see you at the Derby.
