Published in The BANAR June 2025
Steve Vesely, FunFair Chair
This year’s fair is packed with many of your past favorites and a sprinkling of new activities for you to enjoy. Tear away the full schedule on the back page of this BANAR and keep it with you for quick reference. There’s something for everyone!
Here are just a few of the attractions and events happening at the fair:
Casino Night!
This year’s FunFair will include a 3-hour Casino Night on Friday June 6 in the arena from 7-10 p.m. sponsored by le Club Optimiste de Blackburn Hamlet. Games will include two blackjack tables and one Ultimate poker table.
- Players must be 16 or older to play.
- Guests may purchase a 20 chip bucket for $20 or a better value 50 chip bucket for $40 at the casino registration table in the foyer of the arena beginning at 6:30 pm.
- All play is against the dealer
- Dealers will offer advice and hints for newcomers unfamiliar with rules of play. Don’t be shy! Dealers are there to help you strategize and make the best possible play.
- Games will end at 9:45 p.m. and all chips will then be exchanged for raffle tickets where 10 chips = 1 raffle ticket toward the grand prize of a big screen TV, supplied by the Blackburn Pharmacy.
- The games are not meant to be a high stakes tournament. They are meant to be an enjoyable fundraiser. So have fun!
Music lineup
The Funfair will also be hosting two nights of entertainment in the beer garden, featuring:
- Bytown Sea Shanty Collective on Friday during Craft Brew Night. Rekindle your love of East Coast music and join in a few singalongs. No cover!
- Barrelhouse Beatles Tribute on Saturday. Enjoy the Abbey Road Album and other hits note for note! $25 Cover charge (Please include Barrelhouse and Bytown Sea Shanty photos if space allows)
- Other acts include: The Fake McCoys, Double Standard, Hold my Beer, Singhouse Studios, Nepean School of Music, School of Rock.
- Our beer garden will feature Broadhead and OBC breweries at craft beer night on Friday and Broadhead will remain to cater our Saturday beer garden.
New attractions
Tired of the same old activities and looking for something different? We’ve got you covered.
- RyJs Inflatables including the Big Baller, tippy ladder, bungee run and slapshot – all weekend (Please include photo of the Big Baller!)
- 9-Hole mini-putt – Saturday only
- Pony rides – Saturday only
- Stilt Walker Luciano Lu – Saturday only
- Cornhole tournament – Sunday
- RPG fantasy tournaments: a D&D One Shot and MTG Commanders tournament – Saturday only
- Juggler Jean-Guy Beaudry and comedian Chris Pilsworth – Sunday
- Princess Parties
Silent Auction Fundraiser – Now Online!
Your beloved Funfair Silent Auction is back again this year – with an exciting twist for 2025! This year, for the first time ever, all bids will be placed online, making it easier than ever to support our community on site at the Funfair, out and about, or from the comfort of your own home.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of local businesses and individuals, we’ve gathered a treasure trove of auction items that are sure to delight. From luxury gift baskets and spa treatments to dining experiences, family activities, and exclusive gifts – there’s something for everyone!
Bidding Opens: Morning of May 31st.
Click here to go to our online auction. Onsite – you can also visit us to see items in person at Lois Kemp Arena (200 Glen Park Drive) on Saturday, June 7 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Simply browse the auction items, place your bid, and keep an eye on your emails to see if you’ve been outbid!
Bidding closes on Saturday, June 7 at 3:00 PM.
All proceeds from the silent auction go directly toward supporting the Blackburn community. So get ready to bid, win, and make a difference – all while celebrating the spirit of Blackburn. Thank you for your support, and happy bidding!
More Information
Check out the FunFair web page at, blackburnfunfair.ca, for schedule updates as well as Fun Run, softball, cornhole and RPG registrations.
Don’t Forget!
Bearbrook Road will be closed from Louis Riel High School to the Blackburn Arena from 9:45 AM until 10:45 AM on Saturday June 7 for the FunFair parade. Please respect the barricades and monitors at streets and entrances to parking lots along the route.
The EV Chargers at Lois Kemp Area will not be accessible from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8 as the parking lot is reserved for FunFair activities.
