Crazy Daze in Stettler has greater potential than just bargains downtown and a midway for a couple of days.
With so many other Stettler events in a two-week period, they could all become under the banner of one campaign.
Crazy Daze, by name, has likely run its course.
What really is crazy about the community celebration?
From what I understand, it was established decades ago to primarily promote downtown businesses and create “a fun and crazy” community spirit.
Now that “crazy” aspect has virtually diminished — been there, done that.
Under a new name, the major promotion could easily include a downtown shopping campaign with fun and games and entertainment, and feature other events such as the annual art walk, Heartland quilt show, Stettler show and shine with Stettler Car Club.
The event could incorporate other activities and fundraisers held during the first two weeks of June.
One of those is the Relay for Life for Cancer, which happens during the middle of the month.
Instead of all the events having to promote themselves, wouldn’t it be better to package them all together to promote Stettler’s community spirit and advertise the events throughout the a wider region and the province?
Communities across Canada have had those types of community-wide or region-wide promotions.
Many of those places have a theme to promote an aspect of the region.
When I was growing up in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia in the 1960s and 1970s, Chilliwack was known as the Green Heart of Alberta. It annually hosted a two-week event, Country Living Days, in May to promote the region’s farming and agricultural roots.
Some of those features could easily be implemented here in Stettler.
In the B.C. event, businesses decorated their premises with the theme and top entries were awarded prizes. A major parade was a pillar event of the festival.
Local concert bands, organizations, businesses, families with deep local roots and other residents got right into the spirit and participated.
The event in Chilliwack was totally different than the long-standing agricultural fair held later in August, which further promoted agriculture.
In Stettler, some of this agricultural flavour could be used for the Steel Wheel Stampede, though more people are likely to be in town during the middle of a week in June than on a Labour Day weekend. Labour Day weekend — the new date for the stampede — is often a time when people want to take advantage of that last opportunity to go camping or holidaying.
Regardless, it’s better to work together and promote each community event, rather than to work alone.
— Froese’n Time