Tri-County Fair thrives on busy weekend
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Chris Abbott
Editor
The Monster Madness Show, with three full-size monster trucks, was an instant hit at the Tillsonburg Tri-County Fair in on August 15th and 16th.
“Saturday and Sunday, the grandstands were jam-packed,” said Rosemary Dean from the Tri-County Fair. “It shows that people were interested in that new addition to the fair. I think we made a good choice this year.”
Monster Madness, by Edge Motorsports, was followed by the Impact Motorsports demolition derby a couple hours later, both days, and after a quick cleanup the bleachers filled again, many derby fans returning from the monster truck show. All for the price of general fair admission.
The demolition derby has been one of the biggest draws of the Tri-County fair weekend in Tillsonburg for decades. Two big bleachers fit up to 1,000 people, and they had another six smaller bleachers – giving them a crowd of about 1,500 both days.
“We had a lot of (demolition) cars Saturday. Sunday not as many cars, but we had a good audience watching. To go watch all that – on the days and the times they were running – you hit the jackpot, more-or-less, because they are not cheap to watch at another venue. We didn’t charge anything extra, it was part of your regular admission into the fair.
“For everything that was happening this weekend (Aylmer Fair, Cowapolooza, Norwich Truck and Tractor Pull), it was a good choice to bring the monster trucks to our fair,” Dean nodded. “It flowed very nicely, we’re pretty happy.
“Attendance was about 9,000 over the three days. We do everything within our budget – and you hope for nice weather that brings the people through the gates. This year we had beautiful weather. Mother Nature was wonderful to us again.”
Magical Midways’ ride ticket sales were up every day compared to last year, and there were 814 pre-sales for ride passes.
“In prior years we did 500-600 pre-sales,” Dean noted. “So it was much better this year.”
The Tri-County’s Got Talent was also new this year, with three tryouts at The Copper Mug leading up to Saturday’s final at the Kinsmen Bandshell. Winners were announced Sunday.
“I think they’re already looking forward to doing something similar next year. We appreciate The Copper Mug coming out and doing that, providing music entertainment for us and the community.”
The free ice cream eating contest on Saturday and Sunday, sponsored by Shaw’s Ice Cream, filled up quickly. First with kids, then adults & kids for a second more challenging division.
“The adults are good sports when I say you can’t eat with a spoon,” Dean laughed. “Some of them got right into it. At the end, everybody’s a winner and they walk away happy.
“We thank all of our sponsors, people that donate, and everyone who comes to the fair. We’re all volunteers – volunteers raising money for the community – and all the money that comes through the gates, it goes to help bring back the fair next year.
The Town of Tillsonburg contributed $4,500 to the fair, and waived event fees, and the fair board appreciates the support.
New members have joined the ‘old guard’ Tri-County Agricultural Society fair board, and more are needed. The 2026 AGM is in September.
“We’ve got a few new people and we are always interested in people coming to find out what it’s about. Then we can give them the process if they would like to join… then come and join the board.
“I think we’re going to have an open house, so if you want to become a volunteer or join the fair board, watch for the open house. It’s probably the best way to do it.”
Planning for the 173rd fair in 2027 will start in November. Fair board representatives go to an annual convention in February to find new attractions that might work in Tillsonburg.
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