ESTEVAN — Mainprize Regional Park hosted its annual Halloween in the Park on Saturday.
Park's general manager Michelle Walsh said a lot of people joined the fun event, and many sites were decorated to turn it into an even better experience.
"Our Halloween in the Park went really well. Some of our residents and campers counted over 100 kids going through their site. We ran it from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday. And then following that we did a best-dressed contest, and also showed Addams Family 2 in our Pederson Place Hall," Walsh said.
"We're starting to see more sites getting decorated and more creative ideas. There were some pretty fun sites with noise machines and lawn ornaments, and you name it this year."
She noted the summer has been pretty busy at the park in general. They had "an astounding, record" July 1, which pretty much kicked off their season. Following that, all summer long, they have different golf tournaments and many other activities for their campers and daily visitors.
"We've had some pretty big golf tournaments we've hosted out here this summer, bigger than years prior," Walsh said. "And we've been running family movie events all summer on the weekend. And those have been really well received. We're seeing quite a few members show up … with an average of about 20 people per showing."
Some other highlights of this summer include an increase in beach activity, Walsh said. The park has a new 10-foot water trampoline out there, and many people took the opportunity to have fun in the water and on the beach on hot summer days. The park's beach also has a playground and other amenities, and they see more people utilizing it as well. They also see a lot of daily visitors stop by to enjoy their beautiful beach.
"I would say, from last year to this year, the beach has seen record numbers of people utilizing it, which is really, really nice to see for all of us," Walsh said.
"Overall, this year, we've seen more exposure to daytrippers. I mean everybody that seasonally camps here knows what a gem we have. But we're starting to see quite a few more people come over and visit and check out what we have to offer. And of course, our golf course is a little bit different than the other ones neighbouring us because we have a Scottish links style. So if you're an avid golfer, it's something different to check out."
While summer is through its halfway point and the activity calendar is getting closer to wrapping up, the park still has a couple of events to offer. This weekend they are hosting a glow golf event, which is non-competitive and allows people to play golf in the dark.
"That's not a tournament, that's just a fun come out and golf in the dark. We have the glow balls. It's actually pretty nice to come do it out here because we have these little pegs we put in and it makes a light-up pass all the way to the greens. So it's pretty, and it's fun for all ages, whether you're a serious golfer or not a golfer at all," Walsh explained.
On Aug. 26, they are also holding their annual cornhole tournament.
Finally, on the September long weekend, they are doing an end-of-summer outdoor movie event for families and a back-to-school bonfire.
For more information about the park's activities, visit their website at mainprizepark.com. Registration for the golf event closes on Aug. 17, and to register people can call the park's pro shop at 306-458-2452. The deadline to register for the cornhole tournament is Aug. 19, and people can do so by calling the park gate at 306-458-2865.
The park also has some campsite bookings left for the remainder of the season, which people can check out at letscamp.ca.
