Grand River Raceway will kick off its live harness racing season on Friday, June 3 with some fan favourites and some unexpected extras! After restricted attendance at the track over the last couple of seasons, the Elora, Ont. oval is excited to welcome back fans at full capacity for the 2022 race season.
Grand River Raceway will host 48 Standardbred race nights this season, including 15 Ontario Sires Stakes events, from June through September. Racing takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night with a post time of 6:30 p.m. See the full race date schedule here.
“We are thrilled to kick off our 18th season in Elora this Friday night,” said Jamie Martin, Raceway Manager at Grand River Raceway. “It should be a great night for all with 14 races being stakes races. It’s been an unusual couple of years, with limited guests allowed to join us, but we look forward to seeing our race regulars as well as welcoming those looking to try something new and enjoy a fun night out.”
Here’s what fans can expect this summer at Grand River Raceway:
- Get Social – Follow Grand River Raceway on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) or subscribe to the track's mailing list to get weekly updates.
- Free Family Fun – Every night is free for all. Kids can participate in the Neighbourhood Group Scavenger hunt. Great prizes to be won.
- Food Truck Fridays – A delicious fan favourite A variety of trucks, with lots of great food options to choose from every Friday night. Begins June 24.
- Entertainment Every Thursday Night – Enjoy live music while enjoying dinner and drinks on The GrandWay Patio. Begins June 23.
- The GrandWay Patio Parties – Get a group of 12 or more together and enjoy a VIP experience right next to the track. Groups get an intimate horse racing experience in a private area on The GrandWay Patio.
Upcoming Events:
June 3 – Opening Day! Get your program on the Grand River Raceway website here.
July 2 – Ignite Concert (in support of The Grove Hubs). Tickets can be purchased here.
July 15 – Wiener Dog Race Night – This is Grand River Raceway's cutest race of the season. Starting at 6.30 p.m., visitors can come and see the wieners, enjoy free family fun, a delicious meal and great horse racing. Registrations for participants is available here.
July 30 – Food Day Canada – Celebrating local food with a lunch, featuring a passport to great tastes from Wellington County. Visitors can check out new and exciting menu items with a range of food stations right inside The GrandWay.
August 1 – Industry Day – A fun afternoon featuring The Battle of Waterloo presented by Winbak Farm and The Battle of the Belles. This is a widely attended family event starting at12.30 p.m..
August 12 – Harness The Hope – Grand River Raceway is hosting the leg of the Ontario Women’s Driver Championship. Family fun and food will, of course, be available.
August 27 - Breakfast from the Farm – A locally-sourced homegrown breakfast provided, along with family activities with educational activities to learn about agriculture.
Please be reminded that Grand River Raceway and The GrandWay Events Centre are designated as smoke free. Smoking is not permitted in any and all exterior public racetrack facing areas including the grandstand, tarmac and patio.
The Captain’s Quarters is open with a first come, first serve seating only. There will be no all-you-can-eat buffet available this year, however, feel free to bring food from The GrandWay Lounge or the tarmac to enjoy.
Grand River Raceway is ready to giddy-up and get the race season started! Follow along and keep up with all the fun at grandriverraceway.com.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Friday Entries - Grand River Raceway.
(With files from Grand River Raceway)