If you’ve ever watched the Olympics and boasted “I could do that,” the Drayton Fall Fair is your chance to put your muscles where your mouth is. Except instead of shot put and archery, you can try your hand at the bale toss and nail driving.
The Wellington County Junior Farmers are organizing their first Farmers’ Olympics at the Drayton Fair this weekend.
A new event for the fair, the competition will be divided into three age categories, with people competing in teams in events like bale rolling, cow milking and barrow race.
There will be prizes for the top teams, and anyone who wants to take part can sign up on the day of the event.
For the most part, the fair will see the return of old favourites like the tractor pull, midway, and animal shows. For the kids, there’s the Music Pups on Saturday, followed by children’s entertainer Erick Traplin.
Gates open Friday at 5 p.m. with the midway and exhibits of crafts, crops and culinary arts. There will also be vendors on site selling crafts and jewellery, including a tea vendor this year. A demolition derby starts at 7 p.m.
The show ring will be a busy place Saturday, starting with the heavy horse show at 11 a.m., followed by the goat show, dairy show and pet show.
Outside of the ring, there will be a baby show, lawn tractor pull and square dancing. Saturday evening winds up with a tractor pull and beer garden.
On Sunday, events kick off with the miniature horse show, beef show and sheep show. Entertainment for the afternoon will be supplied by a truck pull and the Junior Farmer Olympics.
The theme for this year’s fair is “Christmas in August.”
“It’s basically a summer wonderland, so a flurry of activity,” said Nina Becker, secretary of the Drayton Mapleton Agricultural Society.
Admission to the fair is $10 for adults and $25 for the entire weekend; children 12 and under are free.
The Drayton event kicks off a series of fall-fairs-in-August in the area.
Next up is the Hanover Fall Fair Aug. 14-16 (call 519-364-4443 for information), followed by the Grand River Fall Fair Aug. 15 and 22 (519-846-8879) and the Palmerston Fall Fair Aug. 28-30 (519-343-3427).
