Esterhazy getting ready for Hazy Dayz in June
May 20, 2025, 1:16 pm
Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Every year, folks in and around Esterhazy look forward to one big party in June. The annual Hazy Dayz will take place June 20 to 22, and this year promises to be the biggest one in recent memory.
“This is my third year up and running it, and it’s getting a bigger as the time goes on, with more community involvement,” explained Hayley Nixon, one of the organizers of Hazy Dayz. “I’ve got two other gals this year planning it with me, so I’m not on my own anymore!”
This year, the plan is to stretch Hazy Dayz over the entire weekend, beginning with the Friday market.
“I’ve been trying to work with the market that already exists on Fridays in Esterhazy to see if we can get them to extend their hours to last all afternoon, because I am planning an outdoor jam session open mic event at the museum here in town,” Nixon said. “That will hopefully get some foot traffic there between the market and that going on.
“Then we’ve got my associate, Jen, she’s with the Esterhazy Warriors Football Club, and they used to do an alumni game every year,” Nixon continued, adding that the game will likely draw more people back home. “But they haven’t done that in numerous years, so she wanted to bring that back.”
At the outdoor rink, Nixon has a tailgate party planned for those who want to keep the good times rolling into the night.
Saturday is full of sports, highlighted by the annual slo-pitch tournament. This eight-team co-ed double elimination tourney hosted by Esterhazy Slo-pitch still has a few spots open. So far, there’s one Esterhazy team registered, plus some from Yorkton, Melville, and Roblin.
“We’ve got someone who’s organized a valley run, an organized 5 K or 10 K run at our regional park, so that will be a new addition,” Nixon said.
Registration for the Hazy Trail Race is at 8:45 am with the race beginning at the campground.
“That’s something that a friend of mine who just moved to town about a year ago planned, she usually goes to Regina and attends organized runs, because that’s something she likes to do,” explained Nixon. “She always thought that’s weird that Esterhazy doesn’t really have that around here, because we’ve got beautiful walking trails in the valley that people often go on, but no one really does the organized thing around here.”
Saturday will also see a pancake breakfast, and there’s also a car show planned for the weekend. Ultimately, what really drives the weekend is the sense of community bringing everyone together every year.
“I like the style of the homecoming, everyone coming back together, and it’s the weekend before the Esterhazy grad happens,” Nixon said. “It’s just a nice way to get together as a community before everyone disperses for the summer.”
