Western Fair
“September 5 – 14, 2025 – Celebrating 157 Years of Tradition!“
The Western Fair, a cornerstone of London’s cultural heritage since 1868, returns to the Western Fair District from September 5th to 14th, 2025. This annual event offers a rich blend of entertainment, agricultural showcases, and family-friendly activities, reflecting the vibrant spirit of the community.
Midway Thrills and Live Entertainment
Attendees can experience the excitement of the Midway, featuring a variety of rides and games suitable for all ages. Complementing the thrills, the fair presents a lineup of Live Music and Live Entertainment, showcasing talented performers that cater to diverse musical tastes, ensuring an engaging atmosphere throughout the fairgrounds.
Agricultural Exhibits and Demonstrations
Honoring its agricultural roots, the Western Fair offers a comprehensive array of Agricultural Exhibits. Visitors can explore Dairy and Beef Exhibits, as well as unique displays featuring Water Buffalo, Sheep and Goats, Alpacas and Llamas, Donkeys, and Pigs. The majestic Clydesdale Horses are also showcased, with Clydesdale Hitch Demonstrations highlighting their strength and grace.
Educational Milking Demonstrations provide insights into dairy farming processes, while Farrier Demonstrations offer a glimpse into the skilled craft of horse hoof care. These exhibits and demonstrations aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the agricultural industry.
Culinary Experiences and Creative Arts Competitions
Food enthusiasts can indulge in a variety of Culinary Experiences, featuring local delicacies and international flavors. The fair also hosts Creative Arts Competitions, where artisans and crafters display their talents in various mediums, celebrating the artistic diversity of the community.
Family-Friendly Activities
Families will find a host of activities designed to entertain and educate younger attendees. The Bouncing Barnyard offers interactive fun, while the Case IH Pedal Tractor Course provides children with a hands-on farming experience. These attractions, among others, ensure that the fair offers something special for visitors of all ages.
Join the Celebration
The 2025 Western Fair invites everyone to partake in a ten-day celebration of tradition, agriculture, and entertainment. Whether you’re drawn by the exhilarating rides, the educational exhibits, or the captivating performances, the fair promises an unforgettable experience for all. Mark your calendars for September 5th to 14th, 2025, and join the festivities at the Western Fair District in London, Ontario.
History of the Western Fair
NOTE: You can enjoy the Western Fair’s full history, with photos at www.westernfair.ca/history
Late in the year of 1867 The Western Fair Association was founded through the amalgamation of the East Middlesex Agricultural Society and the London District Horticultural and Agricultural Society.
The first official meeting of the new Association was in 1868 and the very first Western Fair, which was predominantly livestock shows, was held on September 29 & 30, on the lands surrounding the Crystal Palace Barracks. The location was just north of what is today known as Victoria Park in downtown London, Ontario.
Shortly thereafter the fair was moved east of Adelaide Street, to the beautiful Old East Village neighbourhood, to what was known as Salter’s Grove, now called Queens Park. A spectacular new Crystal Palace exhibition pavilion was built on this location by 1887.
In this picture you can see the Queens Park gate in 1895, with street cars running in front and in the next photograph the Crystal Palace in 1912, 15 years before it was lost to fire in January 1927.
A new building named the Confederation Building, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Canadian Confederation was constructed and ready for the 1927 Western Fair in September of that year.
The Confederation building housed many agriculture, home arts, and culinary competitions as well as store displays throughout its early years, it is still standing today and operates as The Market at Western Fair District with many fantastic local food vendors and artisans.
By 1898 the Western Fair spans 10-days as it still does today, and highlights industrial and art exhibitions. Through-out its competition and exhibition history, industry and arts exhibits were the mainstay of the fair. One could partake or peruse agricultural industry competitions like horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry, rabbits, field crops and grains, garden vegetables, dairy products, honey and maple syrup, fruit and flowers, as well as fine arts, ladies work, and household sciences, which are examples of the vast variety of competitions the public could participate in for prize money and ribbon and rosette winning reputations.
Horse competitions were vast in the early days as horses were integral to farming and transportation. Categories included light Standardbred and thoroughbred, harness and roadster classes, plus carriage and coach ponies and heavy horses. These well-dressed gentlemen, may have been horse category prize winners or eager observers dressed for the upcoming events, either way attending the fair was always a dressy occasion as these dapper gents portray.
Equipment displays, like this 1918 tractor exhibit were very important part of agri-business at the time, not unlike the Farm Shows of today. Many, from far and wide, attended to see and talk about the latest trends and innovations in the industry, and made important decisions on how to enhance their own farming operations to better themselves and the province’s vast farming economy.
The Western Fair was also an exciting and prestigious community celebration. Everyone attended the Western Fair at some point through its run, and it was THE place to SEE and be SEEN.
The great Grandstand was a main stage of entertainment and thrilling spectacles at the Western Fair. In 1915 the Grandstand was re-constructed out of steel to replace the wooden one which burnt down on Christmas Day 1914. It was built significantly smaller than the previous Grandstand but it still stands in the same location and continues to operate today.
The Grandstand showcased horse racing and horse shows, cattle competitions, military displays, and often some spectacular attractions of the day, like this photo of a bicycle thrill show.
Over the years the grandstand has featured a wide variety of entertainment including many stars of stage, screen and television.
Go to www.westernfair.ca/history for full article.
