OAAS 2024 News – Exploring Ontario Fairs
“Ontario Agricultural Fairs: Where Cows Moo, Tractors Roar, and Pie Reigns Supreme!”
If you’ve ever wandered into an Ontario agricultural fair, you know it’s not just an event, it’s an experience. A kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and smells (some delightful, some decidedly “authentic”), agricultural fairs have been the beating heart of rural Ontario for over 200 years. They’re where tradition meets a good dose of tractor-fueled adrenaline, and where the community gathers to celebrate life, livestock, and baked goods with equal enthusiasm.
The Roots Run Deep
Ontario’s agricultural fairs have roots as old as some of the trees shading their showgrounds. The province’s first fair, the Niagara Agricultural Society Fair, dates back to 1792, a time when the height of entertainment involved a spirited debate over manure techniques. These fairs started as simple gatherings to showcase livestock, trade farming tips, and crown the occasional enormous pumpkin. Over the years, they’ve evolved into sprawling celebrations that blend old-fashioned charm with modern-day spectacle.
Fairs are a living testament to rural resilience and ingenuity. They remind us of the importance of agriculture in a province where fields of corn and soybeans stretch as far as the eye can see (and occasionally, as far as your GPS signal lasts). They’re also a showcase of creativity, because anyone who can coax a goat into wearing a tutu for a parade deserves both a ribbon and a standing ovation.
A Smorgasbord of Fun
What makes agricultural fairs so beloved? Let’s break it down.
- Livestock with Attitude
From perfectly groomed cows to sheep that stare at you like they know all your secrets, fairs are where animals strut their stuff. There’s something magical about seeing a 4-H kid proudly parading their calf, even if said calf would rather be chewing cud than wearing a sash.
- The Midway Madness
What’s a fair without the midway? Whether it’s spinning rides, sticky cotton candy, or games where the prizes range from goldfish to oversized stuffed bananas, the midway is where childhood memories are made (and where parents learn to say “just one more ride”).
- The Tractor Pulls
This is where horsepower meets heart. Tractor pulls are the ultimate test of farming equipment and audience lung power. The cheers for a particularly impressive pull could probably be heard from Toronto, if the tractors weren’t already drowning out everything.
- Pie Competitions That Get Serious
Forget professional sports, the true drama unfolds in the pie competition tent. Grandma’s crust recipe is on the line, and the judges know that one misstep could result in a bake-off worthy of a Netflix series.
Glue for the Community
For rural communities, agricultural fairs are more than entertainment, they’re a lifeline. They bring people together, from toddlers to octogenarians, in a shared celebration of heritage and local pride. It’s not uncommon to meet someone whose great-great-grandparent once showed cattle at the same fairgrounds.
These fairs also play matchmaker, introducing city folk to the joys of rural life. (Fun fact: You haven’t truly lived until you’ve seen a city kid pet their first chicken and promptly name it “Nugget.”) They’re a bridge between the agricultural world and the rest of us, reminding us where our food comes from and the hardworking people behind it.
The Lure of Nostalgia
Part of the charm of agricultural fairs is their refusal to bow to time. Sure, there’s Wi-Fi at some of them now, and the occasional drone captures footage of the demolition derby. But the essence remains delightfully analog, hay bales, handshakes, and honest-to-goodness fun.
There’s a deep sense of nostalgia tied to these fairs, a longing for simpler days when the biggest decision was whether to enter your quilt or your preserves in the Homecraft exhibit. Fairs are a living museum, preserving traditions like sheep shearing, butter churning, and the art of not spilling your chili at the Harvest Supper.
The Secret Sauce? People
What truly makes Ontario’s agricultural fairs special is the people behind them. From the volunteers who spend months planning every detail to the farmers who haul their best stock into town, the heart of every fair is its community. And let’s not forget the attendees, who show up rain or shine, ready to cheer, eat, and make memories.
So, next time you find yourself at an Ontario fair, embrace it. Watch the sheepdog trials, buy a funnel cake the size of your face, and marvel at the fact that somewhere, a team of judges is debating the merits of one pumpkin over another. Because agricultural fairs are more than just events, they’re a celebration of life, laughter, and the land.
And if you don’t leave with a giant stuffed banana under one arm and a story about the pie that got away, did you even go to the fair at all?
History of Agricultural Fairs
By Guy Scott, OAAS Past President
Fairs are almost as old as recorded history. There were two types of ancient fairs: trade shows and festivals. From the biblical “Fairs of Tyre” to Sturbridge Fair in medieval England, fairs were used as market places and carnivals. In the 1700’s the British crossed the agricultural improvement society with the traditional trade fair/carnival and agricultural fairs were born.
These agricultural fairs were transplanted to the colonies by the earliest British settlers. The concept of fairs soon flourished in agrarian North America. In Canada, the first agricultural society was formed in 1765 in Nova Scotia. Ontario followed suit in 1792 with the Agricultural Society of Upper Canada based at Niagara on the Lake. From the Ontario strongholds, the concept of agricultural fairs spread west with the first settlers.
After a few false starts, the system of agricultural societies and their fairs spread all over Ontario in the 1800’s. They were organized by county and township and at one time numbered over 500 in Ontario alone. While agricultural societies used many methods (of varying success) to improve agriculture and the rural lifestyle, their most enduring and endearing legacy was the agricultural fair. Industrial exhibitions and festivals came and went, but the fairs just carried on. Fairs soon became an ingrained part of Ontario’s (and indeed Canada’s) culture. They still are, in our society.
Fairs have changed since their inception, but they still carry on their mandate of promoting agriculture and the rural lifestyle.
Want to see modern tradition meet the modern world? Attend a fair!
