184th Stratford Fall Fair, part two: Fair opens with large crowds and big plates all around

Chloe Bell, Paige Wilhelm and Maddie Higgins vied to be this year’s Stratford Fall Fair Ambassador. Although it was Wilhelm that took the top spot, the judges noted that any of the three could have won, the competition was so tough.

The 184th annual Stratford Fall Fair kicked off on Sept. 18 with an assortment of events. Front and centre was the crowning of Mitchell’s Paige Wilhelm as the 2025-2026 ambassador.

A large crowd had gathered in the Stratford Rotary Complex’s community hall, watching as three young women competed for the honour. Along with Wilhelm, Chloe Bell from North Easthope and Maddie Higgins from Shakespeare were also in the running.

Wilhelm was sponsored by the Co-Operators, Bell by Famme and Company and Higgins by the Shakespeare Opti-Mrs. Club.

Judges Cathy McCaan, Brittany Van Straaten and Katelyn Sykes interviewed the competitors as to why they wanted to be crowned ambassador. Later in the evening at the opening ceremonies, each gave their prepared speeches and an impromptu speech on topics suggested by the ambassador committee.

Although Wilhelm was named ambassador, the judges took longer than normal to decide because all three were exceptional – any one of the three could have easily been named the winner.

That evening, the Stratford and District Agricultural Society brought fun and excitement to the complex with its fundraising pie auction, which annually nets over $2,000 for the society.

With the audience young and old helping with the auction, and Brodhagen’s David Jacob as auctioneer, Kathryn Ritsma paid the top price for an apple pie freshly baked from locally sourced apples.

She said she is “always happy to support the local agricultural society, since they work so hard every year to bring agriculture to Stratford and the Perth County area.”

While not in attendance, Perth-Wellington MP John Nater had said in absentia, on a note read by Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma (Kathryn’s groom), that if the pie he baked didn’t top the sale, he would be glad to take a pie in the face from any member of the ag society’s board of directors.

He has been M.I.A ever since.