184th Stratford Fall Fair, part one: A success for the history books

Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma hosted his annual egg drop at the Fall Fair on Sept. 21, after snagging this photo of the closing moments of the fair from 105 feet in the air.

Directors of the Stratford and District Agricultural Society have to be given all the accolades they should, after a very successful Stratford Fall Fair wound down on Sept. 21.

From the long standing Perth-Waterloo Holstein Show, that is now inviting any and all Holstein breeders in Ontario to show their best in the Stratford Rotary Complex, to the

exceptional Agricultural Ladies division that set up a tremendous display of school fair exhibits, vegetables and flowers, along with quilts and art displays, to the task of feeding all those goers with great local food, the 184th Fall Fair was a success.

Every year there are programs that promote youth, like the ambassador competition, two days of 4-H club achievement days, that also invites hundreds of 4-H members with their dairy and beef projects into open competition.

There are also area farmers that donate animals and crops to “Farm to You,” a display set up years ago for kids and parents of all ages to learn more and be up close and personal with animals that live just down the road in our rural communities.

There were also farmers there talking about milk, eggs, beef, pork, goats, sheep, Alpacas and many other agricultural products – the true reason why agricultural societies were set up, like in Stratford 184 years ago.

And it surely cannot be forgotten what helps to pay the bills, the attractions sprawled out on the tarmac just outside the Rotary Complex. Campbell Amusements was the provider of the rides and set up one of the best shows that fairs in the area could hope to have, for young and old.

Danny Campbell, after taking over from his late father, Don Campbell, hasn’t missed a beat in setting up and running a great midway show across four special days.

Everyone who has ever helped with a fall fair know that success and failure is often out of their hands. Each year they hope for great weather, and the weatherman delivered this time around. All four days had incredible weather and just missed an incoming storm. Heavy rain fell over Stratford within two hours of the fair’s closing.

For more on this year’s fall fair, read Part Two on page 21.