This year, the Havelock Fair is celebrating its 150th anniversary. According to its website, the traditional country fair is “one of the oldest consecutively-held fairs in Canada,” and it “grew out of the pride of what local farmers and their households produce, and still holds close to its original goal to showcase rural agricultural life, both its joys and challenges.”
This is the first time that the Havelock Fair will be two days long, not just one. It is taking place on September 10 and 11. The fair is also a new member of the MAPAQ (Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation) and the AEAQ (Association des expositions agricoles du Québec), which has helped it secure some extra funds.
Maureen McNeil, one of the fair’s organizers, shares that this year’s event will be filled with activities on both days. “We will have games and activities for children, including a petting zoo. The exhibition halls, the sugar shanty, and the gymkhana put on by Dianne and David Brisebois are popular draws.” There will also, of course, be a highlight on different agricultural activities. “The 4-H will be there, along with a miniature horse and pony show. A heritage livestock show will be a first for our fair, as the trend towards keeping alive older types and rare breeds is making a comeback… even in our area,” says McNeil.
On Saturday, the Women’s Auxiliary of the Barrie Memorial Hospital will be hosting a chicken lunch as a fundraiser, starting at 11:30 a.m. The fair will be featuring live music both days, all day; musical acts include Emily Triggs, Robert Craig and Friends, the BBQ Kings, Ryan McNally, and The Co-Conspirators. There will be a display of vintage snowmobiles put on by the Vintage Snowmobile Club of the Adirondacks.
Fair season is a huge part of the Valley’s culture. McNeil explains that events like this allow folks to see and understand where their food comes from;, and see what farming is really like. She stresses that it’s a way to bring people together, and says it’s about “taking yourself away from the stress of city life, back to admiring the country… It’s a beautiful way to live.”
The price to enter the fair remains at $10, as it has always been. Children under the age of 12 get in for free. For more information on the Havelock Fair, you can check foirehavelockfair.com.