The popularity of last year’s inaugural “Daytime Land” for children at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship has inspired organizers to go bigger and better this year.
With almost double the space to work with, organizers are bringing in a number of new attractions as well as many favourites from last year.
“We were kind of the first off the mark with ‘Daytime Land’ and it’s being copied now, which is great,” said Bud Edwards, director of media relations for the FFCBC.
Edwards added the area is one of the best ways to show the bass derby is “a family-friendly event.”
This year, “Daytime Land” will be divided into two parts: one for infants and toddlers, and the other for older children.
Among the new attractions are virtual reality games like snowboarding and the CKS Express (a little train that runs through the grounds for children and their parents to ride on).
The youngsters also will have their own stage this year for performers like Tyzen.
Some other activities will undergo minor changes. The basketball toss, for instance, may turn into 3-on-3 games. “We just didn’t have the space to do things like that before,” Edwards said.
The dress-a-pet contest will be back this year, but “you and your pet need to dress alike,” said daytime entertainment director Karla Rogozinski.
“The dress-a-pet was a riot last year. It was wonderful,” added Edwards, noting contestants brought pets ranging from dogs and cats to a horse.
Face-painting, colouring, crafts, pizza- and doughnut-eating contests, the paddle boats, the sand-box loonie hunt, the inflatable bouncers, and the petting zoo all will be back this year.
“Bobber the Basscot,” who made his first appearance at the derby last year, will celebrate his second birthday with cake for the kids.
Edwards said “Daytime Land” is carefully designed for safety and convenience. A fence runs around the area to prevent young children from wandering off.
“We try to make it totally self-contained,” he noted.
Within the fenced area are porta-potties, a baby change tent supplied by Pharmasave, and a rest area for adults—complete with chairs, a water fountain, and trees.
One of the big questions this year is whether “Daytime Land” will stay open during the weigh-ins each day.
“Last year there were not enough adult volunteers to supervise and run activities in ‘Daytime Land’ [during the weigh-ins],” Edwards said, explaining why the children’s activities ended at 4 p.m.
This year, though, they’re going to try keeping it open during the main spectacle to see if the demand is there.
“As long as volunteers are there, we’ll keep it open,” Edwards pledged.
Meanwhile, a popular event for youngsters prior to the derby is the annual “Kid-Pro” tournament, when teams competing in the FFCBC volunteer to take young anglers out on the water for an afternoon of fishing.
“We’re going to make the ‘Kid-Pro’ a bigger deal,” Edwards said.
Rogozinski is hoping 50 teams volunteer, making this year’s “Kid-Pro” the biggest one yet.
Last year, 25 anglers offered their time. “I’d like to see more because it’s such a great opportunity for the kids,” Rogozinski said.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
