OAAS News – Hanover Fair
~ August 10th to 11th, 2024 ~
Celebrate Tradition and Community at the Hanover Fair: August 10th and 11th, 2024.
In the heart of Grey County, Ontario, lies the charming town of Hanover, where every year, the Hanover Fair becomes the highlight of summer. This year, mark your calendars for August 10th and 11th, 2024, as the fairgrounds come alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of a true rural celebration.
The Hanover Fair is a beloved tradition that brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend of family-friendly fun and entertainment. From thrilling rides that soar into the sky to captivating agricultural displays, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at this eagerly anticipated event.
Agriculture takes center stage at the Hanover Fair, with farmers proudly showcasing their finest livestock and produce. Visitors can marvel at the beauty of prize-winning cattle, sheep, and poultry, or explore the intricacies of beekeeping and horticulture in the various exhibits and demonstrations.
For those with a competitive streak, the fair offers an array of contests and competitions to test your skills. Whether you’re a master baker, a talented artist, or a skilled woodworker, there’s a competition suited to your talents. The sense of camaraderie and friendly rivalry adds an extra layer of excitement to the event as participants vie for top honors and bragging rights.
Of course, no fair would be complete without delicious food, and the Hanover Fair delivers with a mouthwatering selection of culinary delights. From classic fair fare like corn dogs and funnel cakes to gourmet offerings showcasing local flavors, there’s something to satisfy every craving.
Entertainment abounds throughout the weekend, with live music, dance performances, and interactive shows keeping visitors of all ages entertained. Carnival games and attractions offer thrills and excitement for the young and the young at heart, ensuring that there’s never a dull moment at the Hanover Fair.
So come one, come all, and experience the magic of the Hanover Fair on August 10th and 11th, 2024. It’s a celebration of tradition, community, and the simple joys of rural life that you won’t want to miss!
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 Hanover Fair
