Kara Thorpe and her family at the world record dino event in Dundurn (submitted photo/Kara Thorpe)

By Nigel Maxwell

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There’s a well-known saying that you can’t spell party without PA, and so it should come as no surprise that when plans were hatched for a first of its kind prehistoric block party, a few families from up North would insist on being a part of it.

On Saturday, the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume in an area at once was smashed, when over 1,100 dinosaur lovers took over the small Town of Dundurn. Bonnie Bailey and her husband were among those to drive down.

“I wanted to be part of something fun because the summers are so short,” Bailey told paNOW.

(Facebook/Laura Corrigal)

Since Saturday, multiple videos have been posted to social media, showing the dinosaurs dancing in the streets, even doing the cha-cha slide. Bailey, who couldnt resist busting out a few of her own moves, said the atmosphere was that of fun and joy and being part of a collective energy.

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“Knowing after that we had officially made the Guinness book of world records made me so proud and happy,” she said.

When asked what her favourite part of the day, Bailey shared it was dancing and seeing friends from all over the province, as well as the USA and the UK. Laura Corrigal and her friend also joined the fun.

“Being part of a world record is definitely a story and an experience I’ll have for the rest of my life,” she said.

Corrigal also expressed her own amazement at how well organized everything was, adding the whole process of getting 1,000+ people registered felt so easy.

“The other participants were so much fun. We were making new friends left and right,” she added.

(Facebook/Laura Corrigal)

Kara Thorpe was accompanied by four family members, and they travelled down to Dundurn in their Jurassic Park themed jeep.

“We were tagged like 15 to 20 times from different people when the idea came out on social media the dinosaur event was happening,” she recalled.

Reflecting on the atmosphere of the day, Thorpe said it was bit surreal, and noting the fact that people accessorized their dinosaur costumes with boots or even high heels, said there was a lot of laughing.

“It was just wholesome fun which we haven’t had in a while,” she explained, noting the restrictions families have faced the past few years.

When asked what it felt like to be a part of a record, Thorpe recalled seeing pictures of people coming from all corners of the country to a small town in Saskatchewan, posing with national monuments along the way.

“It just became this storyline that was even bigger than just 5 p.m. with the drones flying by,” she said. “That’s a unique experience to have as a family.”

The official final count at 5 p.m. was 1,163.

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nigel.maxwell.pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell