The Year of Our Lord 1836 saw a number of historic occurrences.
Davy Crockett arrived in Texas in January of that year, just in time for the battle and fall of the Alamo two months later.
The HMS Beagle was making its way around Australia and New Zealand on Charles Darwin’s historic voyage that would eventually change the way people think of themselves. Meanwhile, Samual Colt patented the first revolving barrel and multi-shot firearm, and the U.S. patent office, which had already issued 9,957 patents, finally decided to issue them numbers, starting with number one. Later in the year, its Washington office would burn to the ground.
In Canada, the first Canadian railroad started, between Laprairie and St. John, Quebec.
And at the start of the year in Fergus, a bunch of farmers held a cattle auction that turned into an annual event that is now the Fergus Fall Fair, which is holding its 175th anniversary this year.
Such events were not to be missed by hard working pioneers looking for a break from the routine of farm chores and eking out a living. There were no cars, only rutted roads and trails, but there might have been a few sleighs pulled by horses coming into town if the weather was cold and snowy enough. Farmers back then found their entertainment by shrewdly evaluating the livestock on offer, socializing with neighbours, perhaps having a nip from a jug, enjoying a pot luck supper and speculating about the coming weather.
One hundred and seventy-five years later, it is easier and quicker to reach the fair, but the agricultural component, along with the entertainment factor, are still features of the Fergus Fall Fair.
One can only speculate about that first of many events.
“Early records were burnt,” said Fergus Agricultural Society president Ted Kent in an interview on his farm southeast of the community.
He said in those days, with Fergus barely settled, it was families of old Nichol and Pilkington Townships that were operating what came to be known as the Fergus Fall Fair. In between that time and today, Kent said the event was also known as the Centre Wellington Fair and the Wellington County Fair.
The Fergus event does not claim to be the oldest in Ontario, as some other places that started years after 1936 do. Kent said there are fairs over 200 years old. Fall fairs and agricultural societies go back to the 17th century, and all the way across the sea to Great Britain, where they were first created as a means to bring modern agricultural practices to everyday farming.
For this year’s celebratory event, the board of directors of the Fergus Fall Fair has chosen the theme Sowing Family Traditions. For Kent, who has been involved in the fair for many years and calls himself a “recycled president” (he also held that post for 1980-81), that theme is a natural.
He has been involved since the early 1970s, when he was asked to help with the Fall Fair princess competition, which mainly consisted of competitors milking cows and giving a speech.
Kent was born on the last day of 1947 and is still on the home farm his father bought. He graduated from the University of Guelph in 1971.
He said of running a fair today, like in other areas of life, “What doesn’t pay can’t keep on.” But he brings a practicality to that statement. It is the job of the agricultural society to educate people about farming, its heritage and practices, and, he said of the fair, “We still try to keep a rural focus on it.”
But, he knows in order to attract an audience, urban people need a reason to attend, and he believes the fair board has a good one this year.
“We spent our money on entertainment,” Kent said. “My theory is modern day people have to be entertained.”
Any parent who has tried to pry a child from a video game would agree, and so the fair board is working to provide all kinds of things to see and do at this year’s event.
“There’s some special stuff coming,” Kent said, noting the 175th anniversary cookbook is already out. It consists of recipes from past competitions that were winners.
“They asked everybody for their favourite recipes and the committee put it together,” he said. It will sell for $15 and be available at the annual barbecue where the fair ambassador is chosen. That barbecue at the Sportsplex is on Sept. 11, a week prior to the fair.
Kent remembers one recipe in particular because it was his. He entered a cake baking contest but, “I sent them a story along with it.”
He made a tomato soup cake with brown sugar icing, he remembered. Just before it left the house for the fair, his son stepped in it.
Fortunately, he said, it was “a dense cake, a small boy and a small dent. I won first prize.” Kent added he is unsure today if he won by default (no other entries), but he does remember some of his other efforts were winners without footprints.
It is the type of story that entertains, and Kent is looking for a lot of entertainment for this year’s fair.
“I sat and convinced a lot of people to give more money so we are going to upgrade the entertainment,” he said.
One is a new Lumberjack Company show on the Saturday. It will run at 11am, 1:15 and 3:30pm.
That show is designed to showcase the skill and showmanship of four to five lumberjacks. Among the contests they use to entertain include pole climbing, speed chopping, axe throwing, chain saw racing, chain saw carving, wood splitting, fire building and speed sawing.
There will also be horses, which are always popular. Besides the hunter jumper classes, gymkhana, mounted games and western competitions, there will also be a performance specifically for spectators, with a ringleader handling four horses in the entertainment ring.
Kent said of that performer, “She stands in the ring giving four horses instructions to follow. There is also a horse that will perform tricks and another group of horses that performs to music.”
Another major attraction this year is a horse of another type – motorcycles. The OPP Golden Helmets will be on hand with their precision riding of Harley-Davidsons. The team is known all over Ontario for its shows.
Entertainment will continue this year with an expanded entertainment tent.
Kent noted the Northern Lights Steel band, with its 25 drummers, is likely to attract a big audience for its first appearance at the fair.
“We’ve gone with a lot of different entertainment this year,” he said.
That includes The Black Family, which is “one of the most popular groups we’ve had.”
The Funky Mamas, from the Guelph area and gaining a national reputation, will also be on hand for several shows.
And Deb Meisner Jones will entertain and amuse as she sings, whistles and play bells. “Part of it is an interactive program,” Kent added.
On Sunday, the fair has added a Gospel Hour.
There will also be a juggler. “We’ve never had a juggler before,” he said.
And those are only some of the things to see, do, and listen to over the three days. All the fair’s regular competitions for cattle, sheep, chickens, and displays of the bounty of the land, as well as sewing, baking, and a huge midway all have the capacity to keep people busy all weekend. Don’t forget the truck and tractor pulls. Also new this year is the lawn tractor pull. He hopes those events will attract young people as well as adults.
Kent noted that over the past few years, the a heritage display has been increasing, “leading up to the 175th.” Instead of using the house on the Sportsplex grounds, organizers will do up the parlour to create a Sowing Family Traditions motif. “It’s a pretty nice display,” he said. “We borrowed some set props from Elora Community Theatre.
And, for a grand finalé, the pigeon display will turn into a spectacular fly-off. Kent said they are homing pigeons, so they will be released from the picnic shelter on the afternoon ending of the 175th fall fair.
For more information, visit www.fergusfallfair.ca.
