OAAS News – Binbrook Fair
~ September 12th to 15th, 2024 ~
The 171st Binbrook Fair, scheduled from September 12th to 15th, 2024, is a time-honored tradition that brings the community together for four days of thrilling entertainment, agricultural showcases, and family-friendly fun. Nestled in the heart of Binbrook, this fair is a much-anticipated event that offers something for everyone, making it a highlight of the fall season.
Kicking off the Binbrook Fair excitement, the Smash Up Derby on Friday and Saturday is a crowd favorite, where drivers take to the arena in a high-octane competition of skill and endurance. Spectators can expect heart-pounding action as cars crash and collide in a bid to be the last vehicle standing. It’s a must-see event that guarantees plenty of thrills and spills.
Adding to the weekend’s excitement, the Rodeo on Saturday and Sunday brings a taste of the Wild West to Binbrook. Featuring skilled cowboys and cowgirls competing in events like bull riding, barrel racing, and roping, the rodeo showcases impressive displays of bravery and horsemanship. Whether you’re a rodeo enthusiast or new to the sport, the energy and excitement of these Binbrook Fair events are sure to captivate you.
Livestock shows on Saturday and Sunday offer a more traditional fair experience, highlighting the agricultural roots of the community. Visitors can admire a variety of animals, from cattle to sheep, as local farmers and 4-H members present their best in show. These Binbrook Fair events celebrate the hard work and dedication that goes into raising livestock, offering a glimpse into rural life.
Throughout the Binbrook Fair grounds, you’ll find a wide array of rides, exhibits, and vendors, ensuring there’s something for everyone. The midway provides plenty of amusement rides and games for all ages, while the exhibits and vendors offer a variety of local crafts, goods, and delicious food options.
The Binbrook Fair is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of community spirit, bringing together people of all ages to enjoy the best of fall in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.
History of Agricultural Fairs
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, they’re 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.
Ontario 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!
Click HERE to visit the Binbrook Fair
