It may be the 158th time Listowel has hosted its annual fair, but with many new events added to the roster this year in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Armouries, July is shaping up to be an exciting month for the community here.
The celebrations begin July 12 as locals commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Listowel Agricultural Hall– a popular venue for Buck and Does and award ceremonies. However, it was once the site where soldiers trained for battle. Fair organizer Elizabeth Johnston hopes the ceremony will help revitalize some of the building’s rich history.
“We want to educate people on the history of the building. It’s been known as the Listowel Agricultural Hall since the 70s so there’s a lot of people within the community that don’t realize the military history. They know it as being a community hall and a gathering place but not (why) it was first built,” she says. “We want to honour those who trained in the building and served our country.”
In that vein, there will be a variety of events happening at the fairgrounds that day from 1 to 8pm. Inside the hall there will be displays from local military museums and area collectors, along with exhibits from the Listowel Legion, Air Cadets, Guelph Regiment and the Historical Military Society. One item in particular, that Johnston says participants will be interested in is a replica of The Portraits of Honour by Cambridge artist Dave Sopha.
At 2pm the Guelph Regiment will perform a military re-enactment on the fairground fields, with a commemoration of the building at 3pm and the unveiling of two new artworks which will become permanent fixtures. The ceremony will conclude with two World War I planes flying overhead and an outdoor barbecue. Admission to the event is free and tickets to the barbecue are $15 for adults and $8 for children 6 to 12.
July 17 to 20 will be the main event as the Listowel Fair kicks off its annual celebration with a few new attractions and special guests– starting with the opening parade and ambassador competition Thursday night and finishing with the crowd favourite demolition derby Sunday.
July 17
Festivities kick off with the opening parade and ambassador competition. The Federal Minister of Veterans Affairs Julian Fantino and Minister of National Defense Robert Nicholson will be in attendance for the ceremonies which will conclude with a new fireworks show. Admission to the fair will be free that night.
July 18
Friday will see the beverage tent make its comeback sponsored by the Listowel Kinsmen Club, and feature an outdoor concert with opening act Karli June and headliners The Reklaws. The garden tractor pull starts at 6:30pm, with wings being served in the beverage tent at 7.
July 19
Saturday’s new event is a truck pull, which will be a half-time show during the annual tractor pull. The day will also feature past favourites such as the baby show, vintage farm show, kids pedal tractor pull, and pony show.
July 20
On Sunday, fun on the midway continues and another new event makes its debut.
An antique car show will be hosted by the Commancheros Club during the day, along with the antique tractor pull and parade. That night the ever-popular demolition derby returns at 7pm in the Grand Stands.
For more information, event registration and full schedule details, visit www.listowelfair.com.
