New Hamburg Fall Fair ready to entertain

Event theme highlights importance of agriculture

Crowds pack the grandstand at the New Hamburg Fairgrounds during a past fall fair — a tradition that continues this year from Sept. 11–14 under the theme “Cultivating Community Connections.” newhamburgfallfair.ca photo

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This year’s New Hamburg Fall Fair runs from Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 14, with the theme of “Cultivating Community Connections” at its core.

Wilmot Agricultural Society president Stephanie Szusz explained it is a clever play on words, while also carrying a meaningful connection to rural life.

“We have always said that the Wilmot Ag. Society has two purposes. First and foremost are agricultural education and awareness. People just don’t realize where their food comes from anymore and yet in Wilmot, we are surrounded by phenomenal land with great producers,” Szusz said.

The second purpose is to bring the community together, particularly as it continues to grow.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but a side effect of growth is you can stop knowing who your neighbours are and even knowing your community. We love the idea of telling the people of Wilmot and the surrounding areas to come on out for the weekend or even a day. Meet your neighbours, see the people you might run into getting your morning coffee.”

Szusz added the fair is a place for everyone where they can invest in and cultivate relationships that will ultimately strengthen the community.

The event features the second year of Freestyle Motocross shows, set for 6 and 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Grandstand. New this year is the Barnyard, a free area for children, and a performance from Erick Traplin, a well-known and beloved local kids’ entertainer. The Hunter and Jumper show is not on the agenda this year, but Szusz hopes it will return in 2026.

A midway is always a major draw for fairgoers of all ages — something noticeably missing from this year’s Woodstock Fair. By contrast, Tavistock’s Fall Fair featured three rides and a few inflatables, which left some attendees underwhelmed. Szusz noted organizers secured a new midway provider just before the pandemic, and it has proven very popular with visitors.

“It is absolutely a highlight for us now. We were with the same provider Tavistock was with for many years, and the quality and quantity were going downhill. We are thrilled Magical Midways is our provider. We ran out of room last year and they couldn’t get one ride set up. It was a great problem to have.”

Szusz added having a variety of rides is an effective way to get kids of all ages to come to the event, particularly teenagers.

“I remember from my days you were the coolest kids in town if you could go down on a Friday night. Even if you didn’t ride the rides, you just hung out at the midway. It was the place to be. It attracts teens in the evenings, then you have parents with little kids who come out Saturday mornings.”

A longtime volunteer suggested the midway include a Ferris wheel this year, something that adds another level to the event.

“It’s such a nostalgic thing. To even drive by and see a Ferris wheel, I think it makes people think, ‘Oh, we should go to the fair!’ ”

Szusz has been the ag. society’s president since 2017 and admitted anyone involved in planning and running the fair does it because they want to contribute to society. While many non-profit and community groups have seen a decline in the number of volunteers, that isn’t the case in New Hamburg.

“We’ve been incredibly thankful and blessed over the years to have people step forward and say they want to help. We had a volunteer who gave us the idea of turning volunteer roles into job descriptions. If someone loves social media, be our social media person. If you don’t want to be a member of the board but you like to lift heavy things, be a part of our setup and tear-down crew. We got very granular and said to people if you have five hours, here is a job for you.”

Szusz added the board welcomes any feedback from fairgoers on what they would like to see at the event.

“We do surveys after the fair and all the time we get blasted with negative comments. Then there are gems hidden in there where people say this would be really cool to have, or they wish we had this competition. We are here to serve and we want to hear from the people of the township on what they want to see. We marry that information with the things we feel passionate about that are important to still showcase.”

More information on the 2025 New Hamburg Fall Fair is available at www.newhamburgfallfair.ca.