Last year's Ballapalooza was a home run for the community of Shellbrook. (Submitted Photo/Nicole Philp)

By Rob Mahon

PLAY BALL

Hundreds of ball players headed to Shellbrook for second ‘Ballapalooza’

Jun 9, 2023 | 11:40 AM

According to Statistics Canada, the town of Shellbrook has a population of 1,330 people. For a short time this weekend, however, that population will nearly double.

Shellbrook is welcoming hundreds of young baseball players and their parents and friends to town for their second annual Ballapalooza on Saturday. Games will start at 9:00 in the morning and run well into the evening with lights at the ball diamond keeping them playable.

“We started it last year after the freedom to open things up again after COVID,” said Nicole Philp, an organizer with Ballapalooza. “We were really excited to bring Ballapalooza to Shellbrook last year. Prior to COVID, we always had sports days and events on in June.”

Because the pandemic forced them to take a couple of years off, Shellbrook reimagined their sports days and built up to one massive event. The result was anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 extra people coming into the town for the big day.

“It’s a boost for our community,” Philp said. “Our businesses in town get a hit of revenue with people wandering in and out of the shops in between games. And it’s just such a good feel for a small town to be able to host such an event.”

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Teams come in from all over the province for this event. Philp mentioned teams from La Ronge, Tisdale, Battlefords, and more flocking to the town. Ball players aged 7 all the way to 17 take part in the big day.

“To have parents and community members step up and take a shift at the canteen or a shift at the gate, that’s certainly what makes this possible,” said Philp, “and that’s what community is all about.”

Young ball players from across the province will dominate the day for Ballapalooza, but at night it’s a local clash between some older players that will grab the spotlight with a good-natured rivalry to be settled.

“We have our minor hockey board playing our minor ball board,” said Philp. “You can imagine the bantering that will be going on back and forth between those two teams.”

Phil also said the event is centred around baseball, but because it’s a showcase of the community in many ways they’ll have other events as well, including a car show, a juggling show, beer gardens, a petting zoo, and face painting.

“This is certainly a ball event,” Phil said, “but it’s ramped up to be something for everyone.”

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP

by Rob Mahon

Hundreds of ball players headed to Shellbrook for second ‘Ballapalooza’

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