The Huntingdon Fair marked its 188th anniversary on the weekend of August 12th to the 14th. The fair kicked off on Friday night with a superhero-themed parade, with six floats departing from the Heritage Elementary School.
According to long-time Huntingdon Agricultural Society secretary-treasurer, Lynn Ouimet, the weather put a damper on the fair’s activities. While the fair’s attendance numbers were down from last year’s 7,000 visitors, locals still made the trek out to enjoy the exhibitions, shows and rides.
Last year, the popular agricultural fair saw the introduction of the midway, a tradition that fair organizers continued this summer. Once again, it proved a successful endeavour, especially with the bevy of smaller rides geared towards the whole family. With the ride fare being included in the entrance fee, all fairgoers were able to take full advantage of the midway without any extra costs. Visitors were able peruse the local flower show and agricultural exhibitions, as well as observe the local horse, cattle and pet shows, and even walk through a MAPAQ exhibit designed to promote agricultural awareness—resulting in an interactive setup for the children (where they could enjoy a farm-like environment while educating themselves on where the majority of their food comes from).
“The fair is very family-friendly,” said Ouimet. “We look forward to expanding the midway next year…and nicer weather,” she added when asked about the Huntingdon Agricultural Society’s plans for next year.
While both tractor pulls were cancelled because of the rain, antique tractors still pulled and fairgoers enjoyed a “mini-modified” demonstration. Sunday’s demolition derby saw an uptick in entries, with 100 total cars and trucks entering into the competition. With spectators abound, entries participated in a new class, the “figure-eight”, an idea brought to the fair by organizer Jason Dupont. This year, a class geared towards young fairgoers was introduced—“Powerwheels”, which saw ten children aged 2-6 chase one another around the track in their own Powerwheel Jeeps in a mini-version of the derby. Long-time fair organizer Sarah Moore was thrilled about the introductions to the derby line-up, but disappointed with the rain. “It was unfortunate that the track was so wet, because it made it difficult to move around,” she said. The “figure-eight” class will continue next year, and the “Powerwheels” class will be open to children aged 2-8.
While there are no concrete plans for next year’s fair, the Huntingdon Agricultural Society hopes to keep up their current momentum, ensuring that the fair continues to be a favourite with the locals. They will, of course, be hoping for a little more sunshine in 2017.
