Russell Fair

“August 14 – 17, 2025 – A Tradition of Fun, Farming, and Family Since 1858!“

Join us for an exciting weekend of entertainment, agriculture, and community celebration at the 2025 Russell Fair, happening from August 14th to 17th, 2025! Established in 1858, this historic fair has been bringing together families, farmers, and fairgoers for over 165 years, offering thrilling competitions, family-friendly activities, and small-town charm. Whether you’re here for the livestock shows, midway rides, motorsports action, or live music, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Motorsports Action – Demolition Derby & Truck Pull

For those who love fast-paced, high-energy action, the Russell Fair is bringing back two of its most thrilling motorsports events:

• Demolition Derby – Watch as fearless drivers crash, smash, and battle it out, competing to be the last car standing in this metal-crunching showdown.
• Truck Pull – Experience the power of massive trucks as they compete to pull heavy sleds the farthest, demonstrating raw strength and determination.

Heavy Horse Pull – A Display of Strength & Tradition

The Heavy Horse Pull is a spectacular showcase of teamwork and power, as mighty draft horses compete to pull incredible weights across the fairgrounds. This traditional event is a favorite among fairgoers, offering a true glimpse into the strength and endurance of these incredible animals.

Live Music, Talent Show & Family Entertainment

The Russell Fair is known for its fantastic entertainment lineup, featuring:

• Live Music & Entertainment – Enjoy performances from talented local musicians and bands, bringing a mix of country, folk, rock, and pop hits to the fairgrounds.
• Talent Show – A chance for local singers, dancers, and performers to take center stage and show off their incredible talents!
• Children’s Entertainment – Kids can enjoy a variety of interactive shows, puppet performances, magic acts, and games, ensuring a weekend full of fun and excitement.
• Baby Show – A heartwarming competition, where families gather to celebrate the youngest fairgoers in a fun and friendly event.

Midway, Homecrafts & Farm Animals

No fair is complete without a classic Midway, filled with exciting rides, carnival games, and delicious fair treats. Whether you’re looking for thrilling rollercoasters or fun kid-friendly rides, the Midway has something for everyone.

Inside the Homecrafts Exhibit, visitors can admire beautiful handmade quilts, baking, preserves, woodworking, and crafts, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of the local community.

For animal lovers, the Farm Animals Exhibit is a must-see, offering a hands-on experience with friendly livestock, including cows, goats, sheep, and more.

A Celebration of Agriculture, Family, & Fun!

With its perfect blend of agricultural heritage, motorsports action, live entertainment, and family-friendly fun, the 2025 Russell Fair is set to be one of the best yet. Whether you come for the demolition derby, horse pulls, midway, or live music, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!

Mark your calendars for August 14th to 17th, 2025, and come celebrate tradition, community, and excitement at the Russell Fair!

History of the Russell Fair

Although we do not know the actual date the Russell Township Agricultural Society was founded, it has always been a leader in the community. There are very few records of the first years of the Russell Fair. In 1867, two of the most prominent men in the township headed the Society; William Craig as President and Elisha F. Loucks as Secretary.

The present grounds were acquired at three different times. In 1885, eight acres were purchased from Clarence Helmer; in 1893, another six and a half acres were acquired from Mary Ann Larocque; and, in 1949, a parcel where the arena is currently situated was purchased from the York family.

The original grounds contained an excellent half-mile race track but in 1897 a piece of the north side property was taken by the New York Central Railway for their right-of-way, reducing the track to one-third mile.

In the minutes of August 11, 1912, W. H. Lowrie, T.G. Holmes and Henry Tweed were appointed on a committee to look after building the new arena. With the completion of this new building, there was plenty of room for displays of fruits, vegetables, baking and other homecrafts. Afterwards, some of the old buildings were sold and torn down.

Special trains were requested in 1922 from Ottawa to facilitate transportation to the fair.

For many years the horse races were one of the main drawing cards to the fair but there were also foot races, automobile races, lacrosse and baseball. Not all the races were for speed. One year, when the track was six inches in mud, the competition was to see who could drive their automobile the slowest around the track without shifting from high gear.

There were the usual cattle, horse, sheep and swine shows with the competition very keen in some of these classes.

The annual school fair was held on the first day of the exhibition with each school having a parade, a competition in singing and public speaking and its own exhibition of vegetables, flowers and livestock.

With the collapse of the arena in February 1941, the fair ceased operations until after the war, except for the Calf Clubs and field crop competitions. It resumed on a small scale with outdoor exhibits and rented tents in 1947.

In 1950, the Russell Agricultural Society assumed responsibility for $5,000 towards the cost of a new arena. The fair was once again held under cover in the fall of 1950 except for 1954 when it was cancelled due to bad weather.

Fairs are held every weekend from May to October somewhere in Ontario. Almost all fairs have a “regular weekend” or calendar slot, and very few fairs change their weekend.

In 1846, a group of dedicated volunteers created a central, all-Ontario organization to help agricultural societies better achieve their goals. Times have changed a bit since then, but every year Ontario hosts over 230 agricultural fairs, representing approximately 40 per cent of all fairs in this country. The oldest continually-held fair in Ontario is at Williamstown, held annually since 1812.The Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies (OAAS) publishes a schedule of fair dates every year.

The agricultural fair is a “cultural icon” in Canadian history. In the early days, fairs were designed to educate the farmer about agriculture and rural lifestyles. Today they are still striving for the same goal, but now they tend to concentrate on the urbanite or “city-slicker”. Same goal, different crowd.