150th Fair a Sunny Success

September 25, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Marni Walsh

The sun shone on Shelburne this past weekend helping to make the 150^th Shelburne & District Fall Fair a success.

The weather could not have been better and the fun of the fair amid the sunshine lifted local spirits out of a grey and soggy summer.

Highlights of the fair included a giant selection of excellent bouncy castles which provided good, active fun for all the kids who attended. The Agri-cation Petting Zoo was filled with little ones sharing love and cuddles with fluffy and furry friends all weekend long.

An escaped goat added some excitement to Saturday’s events, but he was soon corralled and returned to his petting duties.

There was a good turnout for the opening ceremonies led by Agricultural Society President Larry Braiden, with greetings from Mayor Ken Bennington, MP David Tilson and MPP Sylvia Jones.

eWayne Townsend, former curator of the Dufferin County Museum and Archives, reviewed some of the highlights and changes of the last 150 years of the Shelburne & District Fair.

Auctioneer Bob Severn auctioned off the season’s largest pumpkins with 1^st place going to Tyson Galbraith with an 85 lb pumpkin and Katey Galbraith receiving 2^nd place with a 60 lb pumpkin.

Excellent musical entertainment was provided at the opening ceremonies by singer-songwriter Sohayla Smith, with Adrian Smith and Josh Oatman. Sohayla and the Troupe- Adore gang also worked hard to keep the kids in face paint providing additional fun at the fair.

The volunteers had worked hard, and Exhibition Hall glowed and shimmered with lights and displays for the opening night.

From a beautiful display of floral colour by the Horticultural Society, delicious baking and stunning quilts, a fascinating first place diorama of the Fathers of Confederation by Kimberly Evans, a harvest of bountiful crop and vegetable displays, to antique exhibits, and heart warming work by the children of the community – the halls were a feast for the eyes.

Crowds were steady throughout the weekend enjoying horse and livestock competitions, truck and tractor pulls and old-fashioned games for the whole family.

There were vendors and an ample supply of food trucks to feed the hungry patrons. A huge crowd filled the fair grounds Sunday to experience the roar and ram of the Smash-Up Derby bringing the 150^th Shelburne & District Fall Fair to a successful close. Congratulations to the Shelburne Agricultural Society and all of its faithful volunteers. May the sun shine again next year on your 151^st!