Town of Claresholm

We are just a couple weeks away from kicking off another amazing season of Markets in the Park — and we couldn’t be more excited! Join us every Tuesday this summer for a fun-filled afternoon celebrating community, local businesses, and summer vibes in the park. Here’s some of the fun you can look forward to: • Live musicians • Kids activities & summer games • Free ice cream in the park • Lemonade • Cornhole tournaments • BBQs and community fun • And of course, incredible local vendors! If you are interested in becoming a vendor and selling your goods, we would love to have you join us! You do not have to commit to every week — come when you can and be part of the fun. Register today and help us make this another fantastic summer in our community! Register now !!

We promised 2 exciting announcements for Fair Days! If you missed the first one, it’s this year’s theme! Be sure to check it out and follow the event page to stay updated on the schedule, events, entertainment, and all the fun happening during Fair Days. /share/18rhvo3vZ6/ Our second exciting announcement is that Megan applied for the Diamond Anniversary Grants Program through the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta. We are incredibly honored that, out of many applications, Fair Days was selected as 1 of only 6 recipients to receive this grant funding. Last week, Megan and the Mayor attended the award ceremony. Thanks to this funding, Fair Days has received $6,000 that will go directly back into the event to help provide even more free activities and entertainment for families, kids, and visitors of all ages to enjoy throughout the weekend. We are already exploring new ideas and additions that we know will bring even more excitement and fun to this year’s celebration. We are so thankful to the Community Foundation for supporting community events and helping local ideas and passions continue to grow. This grant will add so much to an already incredible 4 days of Fair Days fun, and we cannot wait to share more details with everyone soon! @_cflsa Thank you so much @_cflsa

We have TWO big surprises to share for Fair Days this year… and tonight we’re kicking things off by revealing this year’s theme! Start your engines, pack your bags, and get ready for the ultimate summer adventure… ROAD TRIP TO CLARESHOLM FAIR DAYS is officially hitting the highway Aug 6–9! This year’s Fair Days is going bigger than ever with all your favorite traditions, brand new events, and fresh ideas inspired by amazing community involvement and feedback. This is the weekend families come home for, the weekend friends gather, and the weekend Claresholm comes alive. Inspired by our huge focus on tourism and bringing people to town this summer, we wanted a theme that celebrates adventure, travel, and making memories together. We want families planning that summer road trip to stop in Claresholm to enjoy the hills, camping, restaurants, shopping, and of course the EVENTS. Businesses - it’s officially time to start planning your parade floats because we know the reigning champions at the Claresholm Museum are ready to defend their title once again this year. And trust us… we have some exciting things planned: .Passport Around Town adventures - With a BIG grand Prize .A Friday & Saturday shuttle bus system to help everyone get around all weekend long with bus stops around town to pick up .New entertainment, activities, and surprises throughout town . Hawaiian pig roast Thanks to Meadow Creek Sausage Forget Route 66… this summer we’re cruising Highway 2. So mark your calendars, gather your crew, and make ROAD TRIP TO CLARESHOLM FAIR DAYS part of your summer adventure. Spread the word we are so excited ! #fairdays #roadtriptoclaresholm #staylocal #packyourbags #route66

Tourism is economic development, and Stay & Play is one of the ways we turn visitors into real economic impact for Claresholm. The goal is simple: encourage visitors to stay longer, explore more, and spend local. When they do, our shops, restaurants, attractions, and businesses all benefit and those tourism dollars stay right here in our community. Here’s how Stay & Play works: visitors who book a campsite in Claresholm receive access to exclusive local discounts and offers designed to make their stay even better. That includes deals at the campground, discounts at the golf course and pool, offers at local restaurants and shops, and easy access to summer events, attractions, and local experiences. This year, we’re making it even easier with an updated Stay & Play website running all summer long, giving visitors one place to find their deals, plan their weekend, and discover more reasons to stay, shop, eat, and explore in Claresholm. It’s a simple program with a big impact helping turn a quick stop into a full weekend and bringing more tourism dollars into the businesses that keep our community growing. So come stay with us this summer- Play hard-and shop local all with discounts ! #economicdevelopment #stayandplay #shoplocal #toursim

Economic Development is all about building a stronger, more vibrant community and one of the biggest ways that happens is through business growth. This year alone, 13 new businesses opened in Claresholm and received business licences. Some are home based, some are brick and mortar, but each one plays an important role in strengthening our local economy. New businesses create jobs, fill service gaps, attract more shoppers, keep dollars local, and add new energy to our community. Every new business is a sign of growth and growth like that helps communities thrive. BRC Aircraft From Tips to Toes Blissful Balance Flora Facials ABC Daycare & playschool Silverfox Unity Nexus inc Lolli'n'pop inc Glow Beyond 60 Brady Humphrey - Saddles Silver con Landscaping Maple Adobo Catering Andrews Landscaping & renos

Town News from this week's Claresholm Local Press. https://www.claresholm.ca/residents/news/post/may-6-town-news CLP - Claresholm Claresholm Family and Community Support Services Claresholm 4-H Multi Club Seth Wagner - Claresholm Town Councillor

Tomorrow at 1:55 p.m., Alberta Emergency Alert will issue a test message across Alberta through TV, radio, and directly to compatible and connected smartphones. The test is more than a check of the National Alerting system, it is an opportunity for all of us to test our own readiness to respond. When you receive the alert, take a moment to reflect on how prepared you would have been if that alert were real. Start a conversation with your household, neighbours, friends, and family about where they were when the alert went off and how ready they would have been. Having a conversation about preparedness is one step to becoming more prepared and helping others be prepared too. Learn how you can use emergency alerts to strengthen your preparedness. https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emergency-alert.aspx

There’s something exciting in the air in Claresholm this summer. It feels like every time we post lately, there is something new and exciting coming to town, and this one is no exception. Last summer, Tuesdays in the Park quickly became a highlight of the week. From live music and BBQs to activities, free ice cream, and something new to enjoy each week, it became one of those summer traditions people looked forward to. We heard all the great feedback from last year and knew we wanted to make it even better. This summer, we’ve teamed up with Hypha Farms and the Claresholm Farmers Market to bring everything together for one larger weekly market experience in the park. The Claresholm Farmers Market will run on the south end of the park, following Alberta Farmers’ Market Association and AHS guidelines, while the open event market will return to its usual space in Amundsen Park. Right in the middle, you’ll find all the fun that made Tuesdays in the Park such a favourite. We’re planning a summer full of fresh produce, delicious treats, handmade goods, local vendors, and plenty of fun for the whole community to enjoy. Our first market kicks off June 9, and we’re hoping to run through September, weather depending. Get ready, Claresholm. Summer Tuesdays are about to be something special again. If you like to be a vendor here is the link to register - YOU DO NOT need to attend every week to register! /forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnx_YgeXiM1l93HhW3v8_vytpWLou6uBo2birUMEb5IKIJ5Q/viewform?usp=preview

Ok, let’s show the proof… then you might believe me. We host the Range Gravel Race, which is run by TransRockies. It brings in around 400–500 mountain bikers into our community on July 10 and 11. This year they have 700 racers registered. They race over 125 kms through our Porcupine Hills, and people travel from all over Canada to attend. The Range only runs these races in limited locations, and Claresholm is one of them. We are so lucky to have them here with us. This is tourism! Why? Because it brings over 700 additional racers into our town. And what do they do when they are here? They spend money. That money goes into our businesses and gas stations, which then goes back into our community through wages. We know this because last year we did an economic impact report with Travel Alberta. We entered all the details that were collected through questions and surveys of the participants, and then Travel Alberta put together the report. This is what one weekend brought into our town, based on the report findings for last year. 433 racers attended, with 206 non-racers and 20 crew and volunteers. That’s a total of 659 people coming into our town. Hotel, campground fees, Airbnb, restaurants, gas stations, food, and other needs from businesses added up to an estimated spending of $210,508 in direct sales, total businesses sales $308,950. With 122 Jobs supported directly with the categories being Lodging , Transportation ( Gas) food and Beverage , Retail and Recreation. That is money into our economy. From hosting one weekend event. So if you’re wondering why tourism is important… this is one very big $210,508 reason why. Tourism is Markets in the Park. It is the rodeo each weekend. It is the gravel race, Fair Days, museum tours, and the Show and Shine. Hockey tournaments, Gun shows ( which this past weekend brought in 1400 additional people into town) We are already doing tourism in a big way! @transrockiesbike @travelalberta #therange #outhills #worthcomingto #toursimourway #claresholmalberta MD of Willow Creek

Our Tourism Information Centre and Museum had an incredible year, with strong growth in both visitors and gift shop sales! It continues to be one of the most valuable resources in our community, not only for travel information, but also as a place to experience and discover the rich history of our town. Museums remain the heart of tourism in small communities. They are often the first stop for visitors and play a key role in shaping their experience, offering local insight, stories, and connections you won’t find anywhere else. We truly love our museum, and it’s something we’re proud to share. Make sure to add it to your list this summer—you might be surprised at what you discover! To celebrate Tourism Week, we’re also sharing some helpful insights and facts from Travel Alberta to help all of us better understand the impact and importance of tourism in our community. .Tourism employs 10% of Albertans and is the province’s top service export, bringing billions of new dollars into communities across the province each year. .Alberta is leading the country in growth, as the only major province to see increases in U.S. and international arrivals last year. .Tourism provides a steady customer base for local shops, restaurants, and entrepreneurs. More than 90% of tourism operators are small, locally owned businesses, forming the backbone of local economies. .Beyond economic impact, tourism powers communities. Communities that embrace sustainable tourism growth unlock new opportunities, attract investment, and create places people are proud to live, work, and visit. #albertatourism #travelalberta #summer #whyclaresholm #checkusout #musuem

It’s Alberta Tourism Week! We’re excited to start sharing everything we’ve been working on to get ready for this year’s tourism season here in Claresholm! Our goal is simple—but powerful: to make Claresholm not just a place you pass through on the map, but a destination. A place people choose to stop, explore, and experience. From our events and local businesses to our restaurants and sports, there is so much here worth discovering. Tourism plays a huge role in bringing new energy and dollars into our community, especially during the summer months and we’re ready to build on that momentum. Throughout this week, Megan will be sharing more about the plans in place and the exciting initiatives happening behind the scenes to help put Claresholm on the map in a whole new way. National Tourism Week (April 20–25) is a time to celebrate the power of tourism as one of Alberta’s strongest economic drivers. This year’s theme, Authentic Experiences, highlights those “only-in-Alberta” moments something we’re proud to be a part of right here in Claresholm. From rural charm to community spirit, we’re ready to showcase what makes our town truly special. Stay tuned—there’s so much more to come! @travelalberta @tourismealberta @claresholmpharm @hypha.farms @pharmasavedraffins @thehiveclaresholm #tourism #destination #shoplocal #stayandplay #claresholm

Here’s what one of our newer residents loves about raising her family here. Here is a fun fact about just one of the things she loves. Amundsen Park has been a true community success story—a three-year project that has transformed our downtown into a vibrant gathering place. From concerts and Movies in the Park to markets and family events, it’s become a space where our community comes together. This incredible project was fully funded through a combination of competitive and non-competitive grants. Thanks to the support and dedication of partners like the Claresholm Kinsmen Club, Claresholm Lions Club, Canada Community-Building Fund, Community Foundations of Canada, Canada Community Revitalization Fund, and the Active Transportation Fund, we were able to bring this beautiful vision to life. It’s just one more reason why Claresholm is such a fantastic place to call home—thanks to the incredible service groups and community champions who step up, support grant initiatives, and help create spaces that bring people together. Kinsmen Club of Claresholm Claresholm Lions @_cflsa