Town of Ponoka

Family Day in Ponoka offered many activities for the whole family to enjoy on Monday, February 19, , including skating, swimming, a snowshoeing clinic, a variety of fun, family-friendly activities at the Calnash Ag Event Centre (3611 Highway 2A), tobogganing, and cross-country skiing. 

2024 Family Day Activities:

Calnash Ag Event Centre Family Day Activities

The Town of Ponoka partnered with the Calnash Ag Event Centre to host a day brimming with free family-friendly activities and winter fun for all ages from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including:

• Skijoring Demonstration: Experience the thrill of skijoring, a unique winter sport where skiers are pulled by horses (weather permitting);
• Bonfire: Warm up and relax around a welcoming bonfire;
• Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides;
• Hot Chocolate;
• Bouncy Castle;
• Open Ride in the Large Arena: A great opportunity for riders to enjoy the arena at no cost, and for spectators to enjoy watching the equestrian activities. Obstacles will be set up for an engaging riding experience. 

Indoor and Outdoor Skating

Free public skating was offered at the Ponoka Arena Complex (4410 54 Street) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the small ice on Family Day. To help support the Ponoka Food Bank, the Town accepted voluntary donations of non-perishable food items as admission to the event.

Citizens can also laced-up their skates or enjoyed a winter walk on Family Day at the:

• Outdoor Rink (ODR) next to the Ponoka Arena Complex (4410 54 Street): Citizens enjoyed the ODR in the daytime and in the evening as the outdoor lights operate between 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 
• Festive Lights Walk at Lions Centennial Park (at Highway 2A and 54 Street): Citizens experienced the light display in the evening, as the trail winds below tens of thousands of festive lights strung throughout the park.

Swimming at the Ponoka Aquaplex

A free public swim was offered at the Ponoka Aquaplex (5315 46 Avenue) from 1:30 to 4 p.m. To help support the Ponoka Food Bank, the Town of Ponoka accepted voluntary donations of non-perishable food items as admission to the event.

Other Family Fun Events

Groups throughout the community offered several other fun free activities for families on Family Day, including:

• Snowshoeing Clinic at the Ponoka Golf Club (3519 46 Street): The clinic was held from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Snowshoes and an instructor were provided, compliments of First Ponoka Traditional Scouting. 
• Cross-country ski trails and walking trails at the Ponoka Golf Club: 
• Tobogganing at the Tom Hamilton Memorial Hill: Located in the southwest corner of Froman Industrial Park, behind Siding 14 Brewery on 36 Avenue.
• Explore and take a stroll along the walking trails in Ponoka’s Battle River Valley.

Watch for details about the 2025 Family Day Activities and Events.

The Town of Ponoka hosted it's first Spring Festival on Saturday, May 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Lions Centennial Park.

This eagerly awaited, free-to-attend event was a fun-filled day for the whole family. The new Spring Festival offered a wide variety of activities and entertainment for all ages.

The day was full of activities and games including:

• Bouncy Houses;
• Glitter Tattoos;
• Food Trucks;
• And much, much more! 

Watch for details about Spring Festival 2025! 

Scavenger Hunt - Weekly Clue - June 24 -30

Scavenger Hunt - Weekly Clue - June 17 - 23

Scavenger Hunt - Weekly Clue - June 10 - 16

Scavenger Hunt - Weekly Clue - June 3 - 9

June is Recreation and Parks Month across Canada, and the Town of Ponoka had an exciting lineup of activities planned, which included the opportunity to win great prizes! 

Throughout the month of June, the Town invited everyone in Ponoka to participate in our Recreation and Parks Scavenger Hunt, taking you on an adventure to a different park each week. 

Here’s how it worked:

• Weekly Clue: Each Monday, we will release a clue on our social media platforms and our website that provides hints at which ‘Park of the Week’ you need to find.
• Find the Park: Solve the clue, visit the park, and take a photo of yourself enjoying the location.
• Submit Your Photo: Share your photo by direct messaging us on social media or emailing your photo to recreation@ponoka.ca.
• Win Prizes: Each submitted photo enters you into a draw for our weekly prize-pack filled with goodies for all to enjoy!

Recreation and Parks Month is a nationwide initiative aimed at encouraging Canadians to get out, get active and enjoy the natural beauty of our parks. In Alberta, the Alberta Parks and Recreation Association (ARPA) has various programs and events designed to promote physical activity, environmental stewardship and community engagement. For more information on what ARPA is doing this year, visit their website at https://arpaonline.ca/program/jrpm/

 "June is the perfect time to get outdoors, get active, and celebrate the beauty of our parks in Ponoka,” said Ponoka Mayor Kevin Ferguson. “We hope everyone in Ponoka will join us in this month-long celebration."

 All residents are encouraged to take part in the Recreation and Parks Month activities and rediscover the beauty of Ponoka's parks. For more information on the scavenger hunt and other events happening in June, please visit the Town website at www.ponoka.ca or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @TownofPonoka

 Let’s make June a month of outdoor activity, adventure and fun in Ponoka!

The Town of Ponoka invited citizens to join in the annual celebration of Seniors’ Week which ran from June 3 to 9. 

The Town was honoured to start the week with coffee and treats on Monday, June 3 at the Ponoka Aquaplex (5315 46 Avenue) for all to enjoy. 

“Seniors’ Week is a great opportunity to celebrate the seniors in our lives, and all of the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm that they bring to our community,” said Ponoka Mayor Kevin Ferguson.

For more Seniors’ Week local events and activities, please visit https://www.ponoka.ca/p/upcoming-events 

For more information about Seniors’ Week, please visit https://www.alberta.ca/seniors-week#jumplinks-0.

As part of National Indigenous History Month and in the spirit of reconciliation, the Town of Ponoka was excited to help facilitate the return of the Third Annual Tipi Village to Ponoka during Stampede Week from June 25 to 28..

The four-day event was being hosted by Louis Bull Tribe with participation by members of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, Samson Cree Nation and Montana First Nation. Each day, the Tipi Village featured the following:

• A Grand Entry;
• Greetings and speeches from elders and neighbouring First Nations;
• A powwow showcase;
• Indigenous storytelling;
• Indigenous artwork and culture; and
• Tipi Village visitors can stroll through the tipis and talk with elders.

The Tipi Village was set up in the ball diamonds area (Diamond 2) located behind the Ponoka Arena Complex (4410 54 Street), directly across from the Stampede grounds, and was open to the public (weather permitting) from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day. **Note: Times have been updated.

The Town of Ponoka once again partnered with the Ponoka Stampede and Exhibition Association this year to host a Canada Day fireworks display on Sunday, June 30. 

The fireworks were staged at the Ponoka Stampede grounds, which offered a central location where the fireworks could be seen throughout the community. Citizens were also able to view the fireworks from the Ponoka Arena Complex (4410 54 Street) parking lot.

We had Movie Night at the Aquaplex (5315 46 Avenue)

August 27 at 7 p.m. 

Featuring Shark Tale

The annual ‘Fall Fest on 51^st’ event happened on Friday, September 6 from 4 to 9 p.m.

Citizens enjoyed delicious food and live music throughout the evening by Brayden King!

The event ran along 51 Avenue (between 50 Street and 51 Street) and in the parking lot (on the south side of 51 Avenue).

Admission to the Fall Fest on 51^st was

Restaurants and businesses that participated in Fall Fest on 51st were:

• The Crow
• Makkinga Market
• The Pavilion
• Sarah’s Specialty Cakes
• Eighteen91
• Timber Coffee Co.
• Blindman Brewing

Get ready for a spooktacular evening at the Ponoka Aquaplex (5315 46 Avenue). We invite families and friends of all ages to our Halloween Pool Party on Tuesday, October 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. 

Enjoy thrilling music, fun games, and plenty of Halloween-themed excitement. Admission is just $2. 

Don’t miss out on this chance for splashes and spooky fun!

For more information, call 403-783-0131 or send us an email at recreation@ponoka.ca