ERIN – For many locals and visitors, Thanksgiving weekend has become synonymous with the Erin Fall Fair.
The four-day 174th annual event, hosted by the Erin Agricultural Society, will run from Oct. 11 to 14 at the Erin fairgrounds, located at 184 Main St.
“The crowd loves the agricultural aspect of our fair because we still have a lot of livestock shows,” Erin Fall Fair manager Joanne Gregson told the Advertiser.
Country Routes and Rubber Boots is this year’s theme.
“If the weather’s nice we have big numbers … the past few years it’s [been] between 30,000 and 35,000,” said Gregson, referring to the fair’s impressive attendance.
Events
Gates will open on Oct. 10 at 5pm for guests to enjoy a “Toonie Night” consisting of $2 rides and admission to the Robertson’s Amusements midway, a travelling fair company, until 11pm.
The exhibits hall will be open to receive exhibits from 6 to 9pm.
The midway and gates are set to open the following day at 4pm for visitors, with the fair’s first truck pull of the weekend at 6pm.
“We have most of our normal events with one addition to the demolition derby,” noted Gregson.
This year a power wheel event for kids will occur along with the demolition derby.
The official opening of the fair will be in the exhibits hall at 6:30pm with the ambassador competition following shortly after at 7pm.
Those who are looking for musical entertainment that night can visit the festival gardens at 7pm and listen to Settler’s Creek Band perform hit songs.
The three remaining fair days will begin at 8am.
“It’s a community event, it’s for families and we have the Robertson’s Amusements and they’ve been with us for 29 years,” Gregson said.
She also mentioned, “people really like the cleanliness and how they run their midway.”
The company will be allowing free rides on Oct. 12 from 10 to 11am only.
Saturday is set to have a magic show, baby show, goat show, horse pull, and musical and dance entertainment.
In place of the annual Sunday fireworks will be the Erin Fall Fair’s first drone light show, with up to 100 drones creating pictures and designs in the sky at 9pm.
The change was made due to noise complaints and community members sharing “complaints regarding pets getting scared,” Gregson added.
The drone event is also “weather friendly,” officials noted.
Tickets and fees
Those interested in buying tickets online can visit the fair’s website erinfair.com and will have the option of buying a day pass, weekend pass or advance tickets for midway rides.
The admission tickets online include HST and are priced as follows:
– free for children under 5;
– $7 for children aged five to 12;
-$14.50 adults (13 and over); and
– $2 on Thursday Toonie Night.
The gate pricing will be credit or debit only with no cash sales available:
– free for those under five;
– $8 for children aged five to 12;
– $18 for adults (13 and over); and
– $2 on Thursday Toonie Night $2.
Volunteer opportunity
Gregson stressed the fair needs volunteers in order to run.
“For students they can get their volunteer hours really easy,” she noted.
Volunteers can help before, during and/or after the fair. If one completes a minimum of four hours of volunteer work they can spend the rest of their day at the fair for free.
Those interested can visit volunteersignup.org/TJA4F to find the sign-up sheet. From there it will show what event needs some support.
Ag society president
Erin Agricultural Society president Sara Parkinson is in her final year of presidency.
“I’m excited we’ve got a lot of great things planned, fingers crossed that we get great weather,” Parkinson said in an interview.
She was born and raised in Hillsburgh, so the surrounding community and fair mean a great deal to her.
Parkinson has had a hand in the inner workings of the Erin Fall Fair since she was 17.
From being a member of the board to becoming president, Parkinson believes she’ll always have a role at the society.
Even after she serves her two-year role as past president, she’ll continue to spread her support.
“Everything you see over the course of the weekend is run completely by volunteers,” said Parkinson.
“We all do this because we love the fair, we love agriculture and we love our community.
“We’re just there out of the kindest and goodness of our hearts.”
Asked about what event she is most excited, Parkinson replied it’s the new power wheels derby for ages three to nine.
Kids can grab their power wheels and get a chance to test out the fair’s derby pit.
“It’s going to be really awesome to watch and really exciting for the kids,” she said.
It’s not the Erin Fall Fair for Parkinson without the homecraft division’s apple dumplings.
“Our homecraft division makes literally thousands of apple dumplings over the course of the weekend and you have to try one,” noted Parkinson.
For more information on the Erin Fall Fair visit erinfair.com.
