Clinton Spring Fair delivers two days of demolition excitement and community spirit

Matt Lloyd participated in the demo derby, seen standing in-front of his beat-up whip.

The Clinton Spring Fair marked its 172nd year, bringing together residents, visitors, and agricultural exhibitors for a celebration of tradition, entertainment, and community spirit.

This year’s fair combined long-standing attractions with new family-focused activities, reinforcing its reputation as one of the region’s most anticipated annual events.

Secretary-treasurer Janet Cameron said the fair once again served as a vital gathering place for both urban and rural communities.

“I would say it’s a meeting place for the urban and the rural to come together,” Cameron said. “It’s a place for young people to gather after being away at college or university. Everybody comes to the Clinton Spring Fair.”

She noted the event provided an opportunity for people to reconnect with friends and neighbours while learning more about agriculture and rural life.

One of the fair’s biggest draws, the demolition derby, was expanded this year into a two-day event due to growing interest and increased driver participation.

“Because of so many entries, we decided with Impact Motorsports to split the classes for Friday and Saturday afternoon,” Cameron said. “We were looking forward to having both crowds, and it may have been a drawing card for people who couldn’t come Friday night.”

Cameron described the demolition derby as a cornerstone of the fair’s success.

“It’s been our mainstay and helps keep us afloat,” she said. “We’re one of the first fairs in the spring to get things going, so people look forward to the excitement of coming and enjoying the company and the vendors.”

While the derby drew large crowds, Cameron said one of her favourite aspects of the weekend was seeing families and children enjoying themselves.

“The thing that I really look forward to is seeing the smiles on the youth as they’re enjoying a particular game or activity,” she said.

This year also featured new youth-oriented programming, including Lego-building activities on Saturday morning, where children created displays for exhibition throughout the fair.

Organizers also introduced a new agriculture-themed booklet filled with games, questions and educational content focused on local farming.

The poultry show remained a major highlight, attracting exhibitors from across the region and featuring a wide range of chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and rabbits.

“They say Clinton has the best poultry show, so that’s a good feather in our hat,” Cameron said.

Another popular attraction, the baby show, was moved to Sunday this year in hopes of drawing more participants.

Reflecting on her involvement, Cameron said she first joined the fair organization when it was seeking a secretary-treasurer and has remained ever since.

She credited the fair’s continued success to its dedicated board of directors and volunteers.

“We have a really great team of directors that runs the fair and the volunteers are wonderful to work with,” she said.

Among her fondest memories was the fair’s former ambassador program.

“I’ve seen ambassadors go through the competition and come back as doctors, lawyers, veterinarians and business owners,” she said.

The demolition derby once again proved to be a crowd favourite, with a rather rainy forecast on Friday night. Dozens of drivers competed in high-impact events that kept spectators engaged throughout the weekend rain and shine.

Matt Lloyd, who has participated in demolition derbies for four years, said the adrenaline rush keeps him coming back.

For Christy Germaine, co-owner of Impact Motorsports and the event’s MC, the Clinton derby stood out as a highlight of the season.

“Clinton is the best,” she said. “This is the best way to kick off our derby season. Doing a two-day show this year was amazing, and the crowd and the drivers in Clinton were second to none.”

Germaine, whose company has operated derby events since 2020, praised the Clinton Agricultural Society, volunteers and competitors for their support.

“This is probably our favourite derby that we have all year,” she said.

Firefighter Dan Gross, who has supported the event for 29 years, said the fair continued to be an important community gathering.

“It’s a great community event,” Gross said. “It brings a lot of people out. It’s great to see everybody.”

While the crashes and excitement attract spectators, Gross said his favourite part is seeing young people and families enjoying themselves.

"Seeing all the young kids out here and enjoying it is great," he said. "The crash and banging, all the smells and the noises, it makes everybody come out happy."

As the Clinton Spring Fair wrapped up another successful year, organizers, volunteers, drivers, and visitors celebrated a long-standing tradition that continues to unite generations while showcasing the area’s agricultural heritage and strong community spirit.