Staff Contacts Melonie Mckee - Office Assistant: 403-931-3411 / [email protected]Krystal Meade - Events Manager: 403-931-3411 / 403-471-7666 [email protected]John Baker - Maintenance Manager: 403-519-6295 / [email protected]Carmen Ditzler - Farmers’ Market Manager: 403-931-2404 / 403-988-4142 [email protected]Kathryn Boyle - Threepoint Kitchen & Catering: 403-612-6557 / [email protected]Box 68 Millarville, AB T0L 1K0 www.millarvilleracetrack.com WE’RE DOING THE SOCIAL MEDIA THING: Facebook: Millarville Racetrack and Farmers’ Market Twitter: @MillarvilleFM Blog: www.MillarvilleFM.blogspot.ca JULY OFFICE HOURS Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm 2012 MRAS Events Millarville Farmers’ Market June 16 th – October 6 th 2012 Millarville Rodeo August 3 rd – 5 th 2012 Priddis & Millarville Fair August 18 th 2012 Millarville School “Movie Under the Stars” After the Market - September 29 th 2012 Millarville Christmas Market November 9 th – 11 th 2012 T T R R A A C C K K W W A A T T C C H H July 2012
Facebook: Millarville Racetrack and Farmers’ Market
Twitter: @MillarvilleFM
Blog: www.MillarvilleFM.blogspot.ca
JULY OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday to Saturday
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
2012 MRAS Events
Millarville Farmers’ Market
June 16th – October 6th 2012
Millarville Rodeo
August 3rd – 5th 2012
Priddis & Millarville Fair
August 18th 2012
Millarville School “Movie Under the Stars”
After the Market - September 29th 2012
Millarville Christmas Market
November 9th – 11th 2012
TTRRAACCKK WWAATTCCHH July 2012
AA mmeessssaaggee ffrroomm tthhee
PPrreessiiddeenntt…… ur first Farmers Market kicked off on June 16th. What a great day – and not just because I
officially became eligible for the Old Age Pension.
In my opinion, it was the best opening day of the Market ever. We welcomed just fewer than 1100 vehicles full of market shoppers. With 100 full time Market Vendors and about another 100 part time vendors we are sure to see some great products. There are also about 35 new vendors here this season, so make sure you scope them out and try some of their great products. Don’t miss the special “Market Magazine” that is being handed out at the gate.
June 16th also happened to be the date for the First Annual Millarville “Run to the Farmers’ Market” Half Marathon; the event had 296 runners registered, an army of volunteers, and amazing community support. By all reports, the race was a resounding success. The winning time was just over 1:14 minutes. It was amazing standing at the finish line watching the runners roll in. Man were they flying!
Congratulations go out to our Half Marathon Chairman and Vice President of the MRAS Board Rick Charlton, as well as all the participants, staff and volunteers. You should all be taking a bow. Well done! You even managed to get the weather to cooperate. It was cool for the race and then the sun came out so everyone could enjoy the day at the market.
This issue of Track Watch should also be hitting your mail boxes as we are wrapping up the 107th Annual Running of the Millarville Races. Canada Day, July 1st was another day of family fun, action, and volunteers at the Racetrack. All the fun started at 12 noon, and lasted through the afternoon and early evening. We were excited to see the return of the Quarter Horses to our facility, and are thrilled that the work on the racetrack rail was completed in time for our historic event to take
place. More details and news will be released in the August issue of Track Watch, so stay tuned.
I invite you all to come out to the market and events planned at the Track. It looks like it’s going to be a great season!
lazing downhill on Racetrack Road with the wind at his back
was easy living for an elite runner like Duncan Marsden of Calgary in the inaugural Millarville "Run To The Farmers' Market" Half Marathon, held on June 16,until he came across the local
equivalent of the Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill. “About maybe halfway and there was a nice, long, straight road downhill with the wind behind you and I was thinking this was going to be fast, but they left the hills until the end,” Marsden said. “There was a hill with about three miles to go and it was a really tough hill and you could see it coming for about two miles.”
Marsden, coaxed to enter the race by his Millarville-area in-laws, managed to get over what will probably become a notorious hump in future races to win the opening Millarville Farmers Market Half Marathon in a time of 1:14.03, beating out second-place Nathan Kendrick of Calgary who finished with a 1:18:15.
The event contributed to the largest season opening gate in the 30 year history of the Millarville Farmers' Market as almost 300 registered and 263 ran, with their legions of fans, relatives and friends following them to the finish line.
"The intent of this event, running to the Farmers' Market, is to support our local agricultural producers through raised awareness of our Market and we seem to have been very successful in that,” said MRAS Vice-President Rick Charlton. "Almost 40% of those registering had never been to the Market before and almost 80% have never been to the Races, Rodeo or the Fair."
"We also have a large pool of people coming out to volunteer for the event who've likely never volunteered for our Ag Society before," he added.
In a race with 64% female registration, Melissa Kendrick of Calgary won the women's side with a time of 1:21:47.
From Top: The Start Line; Water Station 18.5 km & 9.5 km;
Smiling runners along Racetrack Road
The new 21.1 km, point-to-point, undulating course started in Black Diamond, ran down the Turner Valley Golf Course Road and into Turner Valley itself before taking the Friendship Pathway and finally Racetrack Road to finish at the Millarville Farmers Market, southern Alberta's largest and oldest Farmers' Market.
Participants from top to bottom described the new course as "challenging," "strategic," "gorgeous," and "fun" with most saying they'd be returning for a second year with friends.
For his part, Marsden, who will team with British Olympic Marathoner Mark Steinle in the eight day Trans-Alps Race in September, says he's proud to win the "first ever" and plans to return to defend his title next year.
Post-race, inside the Farmers Market, Franco Lopinto, who fashioned unique, hand-made, clay-fired finishers’ medals, was autographing them for admiring runners.
"We'll have finishers’ medals hand-fashioned by our Farmers Market vendors every year," said Charlton. "It
makes us distinct from other local events. We would like our half marathon and other distances we might add in the next years to become an important, regional "destination" event which should help us raise awareness of the Market and other MRAS activities even further.”
Although a few other Farmers' Markets have local fun runs, the Millarville Half Marathon appears to be the only serious distance of its kind in North America finishing at a flourishing Farmers' Market.
Official planning for the 2013 Half Marathon will commence soon. If you want to get involved, we would love to have you! Contact Rick Charlton [email protected].
Top Row: A few ladies celebrating at the finish, with a cocktail, and with family.
Bottom Row: Marsden collecting the first medal, Rounding the final bend, Stopping for a beer on the road.
We are up and running fast. Our first big success: Fair Books have gone to distribution. It is also available on the website. Thank you to all of those people who made sure we were complimented on the Fair Book. Thank you to our Editor and her assistant for their work. By opening Market day, we had already received our first entry.
There are so many things to be excited about this year. We have had our second big success: The manager of our Jr. Fibre Arts Department, Carol Kehoe, finished the Half Marathon. That was her goal – that’s what she did. Cathie, Joyce, Judi and Diane went out to meet her and accompany her to the finish line. Now they are all talking about doing the entire course next year – and making plans for the entire Fair Committee to do it together…….. Help! This type of thinking and planning and dreaming and laughing is the essence of our entire committee. Somebody says something; three or four people say it sounds like a great idea and POOF! it happens. Then we sit around looking at each other wondering why we did that, laugh some more and “somebody says something.” Somewhere along the process, the pain and agony of making it happen become enjoyable and an addition to the camaraderie and laughter…. and the committee and number of volunteers continues to grow. There’s something in this entire process that makes me wonder what the matter with us is really, but it seems to work, everyone is having fun, and the friendships continue
to solidify. What is better than this?
Thank you to all of the volunteers from the Fair Committee who helped make the Half Marathon happen. It simply overwhelms me that when someone asks us for help, we go “Okay – how many do you need?’ There we are. We had so much fun.
Get ready for the new classes and new happenings coming up at the Fair. Get your entries in.
We will be looking for “Ask Me” volunteers: people who are willing to be available throughout the grounds, willing to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere and provide them with information about the Fair – some of it could be useful. You would be wearing a hat or carrying a sign with “Ask Me” written on it. You need to be at least 12 years of age and willing to walk around, making conversation with visitors, willing to make people feel welcome and wanted, willing to help people have an enjoyable experience at our Fair. If you are this type of person, email me at [email protected] August 18th is quickly approaching. See you at the Fair!
Donna Kendall 2012 Priddis & Millarville Fair Chair
Finishing the Millarville Run to the Farmers’ Market Half Marathon …
Thank you, Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society for a well-run fabulous racing opportunity in our beautiful foothills country!
With complete nutrition (Smart Mix), a boost of nature’s kinesiological energy (XM
3) - not chemically manufactured power goo, gruel or
energy chewies, chunks, bits and bites – desire, and regular body movement, you can finish this race too! Zija’s Smart Mix and XM
3
Energy Drink are used for training and general health benefits by many professional and amateur athletes including:
Jeff Pain, Canadian three-time Winter Olympian in the sport of Skeleton, who won a silver medal in 2006 and is a two-time World Champion; Luke Curry, Bench Press Record Holder and one of my personal heroes, Tony Horton, creator of the P90X DVD fitness series. Pop into his website and have a peek.
Learning about ingredients, food and developing cooking skills
are essential to good health and food security. Learn from one
of our expert instructors and then share it with your family and
friends. Classes begin at 9:00am in our hall kitchen and are
approximately 3 hours long. Fees include instruction and
ingredients. Meet your class, tootle through the market, learn,
cook, eat….take home some lasting food skills. Register in
advance by calling 403-931-3411. Payment is by Visa or
Mastercard over the phone, additionally cash and debit can be
accepted at the office Tuesday- Saturdays 9am-4pm.
July 14- Preserving Skills- learn to make a fruit jam, pepper jelly and gourmet mustard
from local condiment guru Pam Vipond. Skills learned can be transferred to all kinds of
ingredients. $60 + GST
August 11- Introductory Cheese Making with Ella of “Make Cheese”. Learn how easy
it is to make your own fresh mozzarella cheese. Our instructor, trained at the Vermont
Institute of Artisanal Cheese, will guide you through the process using regular
pasteurized milk from the grocer. $60 + GST
September 22- Feeding your baby or toddler from scratch. Learn about how easy it is
to feed your baby or toddler healthy food, made from scratch without it being an epic.
Join instructor Andrea Purdy for demos, tips, tricks and priceless info. $40 + GST
September 29- Soup from Scratch with famed Route 40 Soup Co. Chef Mark Klaudt.
Start with a market shopping tour. Learn to make fabulous soup with seasonal
ingredients, tricks, tips, taste, take some home. $60 + GST
MMoovviiee UUnnddeerr tthhee SSttaarrss Is Back at the Racetrack! –Mark Your Calendars!
The place to be the evening of Saturday, September 29th is the Millarville Racetrack, making some memories with your family....and at the same time, supporting Millarville Community School.
The volunteer committee, who brought you this successful fundraiser in June 2010, has been working diligently to bring the big-screen back to Millarville! “We chose the end of September for this year’s Movie Under the Stars because most people are back into a routine by that time,” says Michaela Ellis, one of the event’s volunteer organizers. “So many people are away during the summer months and we want as many local people to attend as possible. And amazingly, we once again have a full moon backdrop to our movie experience. The name of the movie will be announced in September.”
This year there will be a lot of new attractions including horse-drawn wagon rides, jumping bunnies, a silent auction and the first-ever pie-eating contest for both adults and children! And of course the three-legged race, the sack race and a bunch of favourites from last event are returning.
The emphasis with this year’s Movie Under the Stars is on having the event bring in more people from Calgary, as well as local areas such as Okotoks, Bragg Creek, etc. “We’re billing this event as a country experience where city-folk can come back to the country, smell the fragrant hay being harvested in the fields and enjoy the fresh autumn air,” says Gitte White, a co-organizer with Ellis.
With a number of great prizes being donated, the committee decided to add a bucket raffle and a silent auction. “We already have some great stuff donated,” White enthuses. “Heartland has donated a ‘set visit’ for four people, we have a ride in a glider and hopefully more to come,” she adds. “We’re still looking for more big-ticket prizes, in particular things that might bring out new people.”
For more details about this event please contact Michaela Ellis at 403-938-7606, Gitte White, 403-931-1500 or take a peek at the school’s website, http://millarville.fsd38.ab.ca/community/movie-under-the-stars-2012/
Rocky Mountain Tae Kwon-Do
Registration takes place Monday, September 10, 2012.
Classes will be held Monday & Thursday evenings
6:30 to 7:30 in the gym at Millarville Community School.
Have a suggestion or an article of your own that you’d like to see in Track Watch? Want to get word out about a community event? Submit your writing, photos, and ideas by the 18
