Celebrate local farms, food and community at Ontario fall fairs

GUELPH, ON  – It’s not an official season in the calendar, but kicking off in mid-August and running through mid-October, it is fall fair season in Ontario.

While there are community fairs happening throughout the summer, the period between the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto (taking place until September 5^th) and Thanksgiving is packed with community celebrations that feature a midway, carnival games, demolition derbies, vendors, food trucks, demonstrations — and a snapshoot of the 200-plus agricultural commodities that are produced by Ontario farmers.

“Fall fairs are a fantastic peek into rural Ontario and the farms that feed us all,” says Drew Spoelstra, Vice-President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). “The rides and games and extravagant eats may provide colour, but at their heart the fair is a celebration of the local harvest and all the fruits, vegetables, grains and meats that we enjoy on our tables.”

From mid-August to mid-October, there are more than 160 fall fairs taking place every weekend in communities across the province, hosted by members of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies.

With increasing urban pressure on rural lands and challenging economic times impacting farms as much as they impact a city family, the OFA, through its Home Grown campaign, encourages people to explore a fall fair near them and help shine a light on the importance of Ontario famers and the preservation of productive farmland.

“At a time when Ontario is losing an average of 319 acres of farmland every day, it is more important than ever that we re-connect with our rural roots,” says Spoelstra. “Fall fairs are a great resource for learning about where our food comes from, and understanding why it is so important that we protect local food and farms forever.”