Doodle Bug Days coming up August 23
August 18, 2025, 9:18 am
Nicole Taylor
Doodle Bug Daycare in Wapella is hosting their Third annual Doodle Bug Days event on Saturday, August 23rd, at the Wapella Ball Diamonds.
Doodle Bug Daycare accommodates 22 children, with a wait list to get in.
“We really wanted to do community days to bring all of our daycare families and our Wapella community together, and just make a fun day for the Wapella community in general, as well as doing a bit of a fundraiser,” said CJ Fafard with Doodle Bug Daycare.
Saturday morning will kick off will a parade starting at 10 am. Fafard said anyone is welcome to join in the parade and decorate their ride or float however they like. If you are interested in joining, the procession will meet at Wendy’s Diner in Wapella at 9:30 Saturday morning.
“The Wapella Fire Department is coming and joining the parade, and we encourage kids on bikes to join too,” said Fafard. “The Wapella rodeo joined in last year, and we invited the Moosomin RCMP this year.”
Saddle Ridge Farms will have their petting zoo set up at the sports grounds for attendees to spend time with the animals. “They are really good with the kids,” said Fafard, “They usually have a large variety of animals. I’m not sure what they are bringing this year, but in the past there was a donkey, a llama, cows and calfs, and even puppies.
“We have a variety of different bouncy houses for different ages that we rented from Kerr’s Bouncers and Inflatables, and we have a couple bouncy houses that the daycare recently purchased.”
Alongside the petting zoo and bouncy tents, there will be a face painting and glitter tattoo station, as well as a slo pitch tournament happening throughout the day.
“We have a few more ball teams than in the past,” said Fafard, “We have six teams right now, but we always get a couple the last week. The slo pitch will start around 10:30- 11:00 am.”
Doodle Bug Days will have a concession open at 11 am to serve lunch, and will stay open until the end of the event.
“Cratehouse usually helps us sponsor the lunch. Vaida is bringing Dodge City Scoops from the ice cream store in Wapella and she will be selling ice cream at our concession as well,” said Fafard.
There will be picnic tables set up, and after 1 pm, the concession will open the bar to sell adult beverages.
The wristbands are available to purchase for $15 at the entrance. Fafard said there is a draw on Facebook where you have the opportunity to win three free wristbands for Doodle Bug Days by sharing their post.
“I think Doodle Bug Days is fun for the whole family, not just the little ones. There is a tennis court and usually some of the older kids like to bring hockey sticks and play road hockey. You can also relax while watching slow pitch. We try to hit the whole family,” said Fafard.
“We are expecting the same turnout as last year, hopefully a couple hundred people. Joining up with Dodge City Days Rodeo has definitely helped because it brings more people in town because then they’ll go to the rodeo in the evening.
“In Wapella we try not to do too much fundraising because there are so many other committees fundraising. We try to do just one big fundraiser, but the sponsorships haven’t been the best this year, so we will probably have to do another fundraising event at some point this year. Last year I believe we raised just over $2,000 for the daycare.”
“Thank you to the community for helping to support us, and the sponsorships that we have received from Wapella, Moosomin and Rocanville, because we definitely wouldn’t have been able to do this without them,” said Fafard.
sm.jpg)
