ARTHUR – There will be lots to see and do at the Arthur Fall Fair this year, including tried and true highlights such as livestock shows, bucket rides and a family movie, as well as new entertainment including an exotic animal show and a performance from the Cutting-Edge Cowgirls.
The fair will kick off at 5pm on Sept. 4 and continue until 4pm on Sept. 7, with most events taking place at the Arthur and Area Community Centre.
New this year
The inflatables at the fair will be different this year – offered by Kiddies Fun Trak inflatables.
Admission to the inflatables is reduced from past years, at $15 for a wristband to play all day.
Arthur Agricultural Society secretary Lianne Kaminski said organizers are hopeful that this will allow more people from the community to enjoy the inflatables.
They’re open for all ages from 11am to 6pm on Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday.
All proceeds from wristband sales will go right back to the fair, Kaminski noted.
At the Party Safari, people will have a chance to get up close and personal and learn about exotic animals, including snakes, hedgehogs and turtles, Kaminski told the Advertiser.
Party Safari is a small business from near Shelburne that will offer two demonstrations during the fair, at 10am and 12:30pm on Saturday.
There will be a mounted drill team performance from the Cutting-Edge Cowgirls in the horse ring at 12:30pm on Saturday, followed by a meet and greet with the cowgirls and their horses.
Kaminski said it will be a fast-paced, interactive show that “should be a lot of fun.”
There will also be a live performance from the band Flash Back, who will play country music on the main auditorium stage from 1 to 4pm on Saturday.
On Sunday, there will be all-ages music bingo from 12 to 2pm in the main auditorium.
The bingo sheet will be filled with names of songs and when clips of those songs play people will mark them off on their sheets.
Kaminski said music bingo is good opportunity to sit down and have some fun with family and friends.
It’s offered by the same company that hosts regular music bingo at the Tipsy Fox in Arthur, she noted, and there will be small prizes for winners.
Also on Sunday will be a square dancing demonstration by Wellington 4-H at 2pm on the arena floor.
The agricultural education tent has expanded this year, thanks to a Grand River Agricultural Society grant, Kaminski said.
“We’ve really developed the space and those features this year,” she said, and the tent will be open all weekend.
“People can come out and explore the different careers in agriculture and how our community evolves in agriculture.”
Annual highlights
The fair kicks off with a beef barbecue supper from 5 to 7:30pm on Sept. 4.
Last year more than 800 people attended the barbecue, Kaminski said, so she recommends people get tickets in advance.
Kaminski said the parade and family movie night on Friday are always popular. The parade leaves the St. John Parish Centre parking lot at 7pm sharp and travels along Georgina Street.
This year the film IF will be played inside the arena at 8pm. Admission to movie night is by donation to the fair, Kaminski said.
On Saturday the 4-H livestock shows are always a big hit, Kaminski said.
Wellington North Power will be back again this year with its hydro power truck, offering rides to the public in the bucket.
The bucket rides are free of charge for anyone who can handle the height, Kaminski said, and they offer “a really good survey of the fairgrounds from the air.”
On Sunday the Western Horse Show will start at 9:30am, which Kaminski said is always a highlight of the fair.
Another highlight is the crowning of the ambassadors, Kaminski said, which happens at 2:45pm on Sunday.
Community involvement
For Kaminski, the most exciting aspect of the Arthur Fall Fair is the community engagement.
She said organizers work hard to coordinate four days of activities and, “When it all comes together and we can see the community enjoying themselves and harvesting those memories that is my personal favourite part.”
“Harvesting memories” is the theme of this year’s Arthur Fall Fair.
Kaminski said it’s fun to see different interpretations of the theme in the fair window display contest.
The contest is open to any businesses in Wellington North and will be judged by ambassador contestants on Sept. 3.
Winning businesses will receive two tickets to the beef dinner on Sept. 4 and an opportunity to win an advertisement in the fair book, Kaminski said.
For information about getting involved in the window display contest, check out the fair book at arthurfallfair.com.
There is also information in the book about entering exhibits into the fair.
“We get asked every year – ‘do you have to live in Arthur to participate?’” Kaminski said.
“No – anybody everywhere can exhibit.”
For support with entering an exhibit, contact arthurfallfair@gmail.com, she said.
Arthur Fall Fair participation and attendance is growing each year, Kaminski said, and last year 1,300 people came out to the celebration.
