NIAGARA REGION – The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM)is coming to the Niagara Region this fall to showcase the community’s agricultural diversity and natural beauty.
The annual event is hosted in a different community each year and this year’s edition marks the first time in almost 100 years the Niagara communities will play host.
The last time an IPM was hosted in Niagara was 1926.
Renate McGillivray is one of the two local co-chairs for the event and she says the community is very excited to be having this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invite visitors to their region.
“We have a lot to offer in this part of the province and we couldn’t be happier to be hosting this year’s event.”
The IPM was created by the OPA in 1913 to showcase farmers’ passion for the soil, agriculture and rural living and today is the largest event of its kind in Canada, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year.
A demonstration of horse plowing. Photos by Milton Young
Plowing—whether by the old-fashioned horse-drawn plows or tractors using both traditional and modern, high-tech plows—remains a key feature of the five-day event, but in its over 100-year history it has evolved into a massive rural expo.
From Sept. 16 to Sept. 20 the IPM will include daily entertainment, animal exhibits, demonstrations, local artisans, farm and rural goods and services, a rodeo and the plowing—featuring both tractor and horse-plowing competitions.
To get involved as a volunteer, sponsor or exhibitor visit the IMP’s website at plowingmatch.org/IPM2025.
“This is a once-in-a-generation event for our community and we want to make sure everyone who wants to be involved is,” McGillivray stated.
