As the population in Fergus continues to increase every year, events like the Fergus Fall Fair aim to preserve the area’s deeply-rooted farming culture.
“There are a lot more urban people moving into rural areas and there is really that disconnect from the farm and where your food comes from,” says Fergus Fall Fair president Andrew Taylor.
While Elora and Fergus continually make it onto places-to-visit lists from outlets like The Toronto Star and online aggregators like Narcity, it is important to hold on to what populated the area in the first place.
It is also a chance to educate the masses about the production process.
“I think we need to keep the fall fairs going every year so that people kind of see what goes on through the year and where your food comes from,” says Taylor.
With people increasingly interested in what they eat and where their food comes from, the fair remains relevant to visitors, 182 years after its inception.
The hope is that the fair can hold the attention of new visitors as it has done with local residents.
Taylor himself moved to Fergus as a child and can remember going to the fair every year with his family to see the truck and tractor pulls, his favourite event.
Now he brings his own family.
“It turns into a family tradition because you see a lot of people come back with their parents and then they start to bring their kids so it’s kind of cool,” he said.
