Kim Jackson ran the same gambling game at eight different fairs over the course of five weeks. (Image Credit: Photo submitted/Kim Jackson)

By Nick Nielsen

to be fair

P.A.’s Jackson travels across prairies in unusual side hustle

Aug 15, 2026 | 8:00 AM

Trying to add new things and keep the program fresh for town fairs and exhibitions can be a tough challenge.

That’s why one of the board members for the Prince Albert Exhibition, Kim Jackson, decided to follow the fair around this year in his own motor home throughout the summer. Jackson was running one of the gambling games along the way while taking in how the different cities run their own shows.

“Being around the exhibition in Prince Albert, you get to meet a lot of the owners and managers, and they’re always looking for extra help. In talking to our manager and she thought that’d be a great idea to kind of get out and about, and so I thought I’m doing nothing all July, I might as well go for a little countryside driving.”

Over the course of five weeks, Jackson travelled to eight different fairs including the one in Prince Albert. The farthest away he got was Grimshaw, Alta., or about a twelve hour drive away.

While he didn’t travel the country and see a bunch of different cultures, Jackson said he still learned lots about the different places he visited and how important the fair can be to a town’s sense of community.

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“Probably the biggest take back is it’s a community event and this isn’t just for one organization. It’s for many different nonprofits that are there trying to fundraise to make money. It’s a lot of people’s biggest fundraiser of the year, so it’s a huge deal for every community.”

During the trip, Jackson said he was in constant contact with the Prince Albert Exhibition Association to share ideas and observations about the different processes he saw. The biggest thing during the trip was the cost of going to the fair, and how some communities are having trouble finding that right price point.

“I think it’s very important, especially in today’s age, to bring new things to your fair and your organization, and you want to really keep everything affordable as everybody’s dollar is getting a little bit tighter. So you’ve got to be really careful there, I’ve noticed a couple of the places are trying to keep prices low and a couple places are trying to put their prices up, but you got to be really careful in terms of that.”

Jackson returned home just in time to help out at the eighth and final fair of his circuit, the one in Prince Albert. Now he’s preparing for the upcoming hockey season with the Prince Albert Mintos.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

P.A.’s Jackson travels across prairies in unusual side hustle

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