Some things about the first Fergus Fall Fairs in the early 19th century might be hard to imagine — taking your family to enjoy the festivities in the mid-January open air, for example. But most of the other details are not hard to imagine at all. 182 years later, residents and visitors of Centre Wellington are still joining together to appreciate dairy cows and local produce.
The tenth oldest fair in Ontario, the Fergus Fair began in 1836 as a one-day event to educate farmers about how to improve farming practices. In the mid-1800s, the fair’s main attractions were showings of cattle, horses, sheep and pigs as well as roots and vegetables, fruits, dairy products and ladies’ fancywork.
It was only in 1870 that the fair expanded to two days and it wasn’t until a further 60 years that the event was moved forward to September.
Other notable changes over the years were live entertainment introduced at the beginning of the 20th century, and moving the venue from Victoria Park to what is known today as the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in the late 1990s.
In 1979 the tradition of nominating a youth representative began with the crowning of the Fergus Fall Fair Queen. The role was later made more inclusive by changing the title to ambassador and made open to all applicants between the ages of 17 and 25.
Today, agriculture is still the main focus of the event and it remains a fixed date marked on the town’s events calendar.
