Harrow Fair facts for kids

The Harrow Fair is a super fun agricultural festival that happens every year in Harrow, Ontario. It takes place over four days during the Labour Day weekend. The Colchester South and Harrow Agriculture Society organizes this big event. Their main goal is to teach everyone about farming and why it's so important to our community.

History of the Harrow Fair

The very first Harrow Fair happened way back in 1854. Back then, fairs were more like big sales events. They were held a few times a year at different farms, with local farmers volunteering to host. To join in and sell your animals or crops, you had to be a member of the Colchester Agricultural Society.

Early Days of the Fair

When the fair first started, only a few types of farm animals were shown, like horses, cows, sheep, and pigs. But over time, the fair grew to include many more kinds of animals and plants!

The first annual Harrow Fair, meaning it happened every year, was in 1878. By then, the fair had much more to see! It included home arts like crafts and cooking, along with a wider variety of farm exhibits.

A Permanent Home for the Fair

In 1880, Colchester Township bought 7 acres (about 28,000 square meters) of land. This was to create a permanent place for the fair to happen. The fair kept growing, and by 1902, they expanded the grounds even more. They added fences, planted trees, built a half-mile track, and made other improvements. In 1907, the fair became a three-day event!

In the 1950s, a high school bought the land next to the fairgrounds. This meant some of the animal barns had to be moved to a different, quieter spot.

Special Guests and New Buildings

In 1969, the Harrow Fair celebrated its 115th birthday! To mark this special occasion, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, William Ross Macdonald, came to open the fair.

Sadly, in 1981, the Exhibition Hall, where many exhibits were displayed, burned down. But don't worry! By 1983, a brand new Exhibition Hall was built, and it's still standing strong today.

Harrow Fair Today

Today, the Harrow Fair does a lot of good for the community. It supports local charities and groups. For example, it helps 4-H, which is an organization for young people. It also supports the Harrow Whalers Dunk Tank, which raises money for local causes.

In 2006, something amazing happened at the fair: 101 pies were auctioned off! This raised over $7,400, which was given to the John McGivney Children’s Center in Windsor, Ontario. This center helps children with disabilities.

The Harrow Fair has grown a lot over the years. It now lasts for four days. In its first year, there were about 530 entries. But in 2008, there were over 7,000 entries! An estimated 70,000 people came to visit that year.

The Harrow Fair is now one of the most successful fairs in all of Ontario!

Years Without a Fair

The Harrow Fair has been held almost every year since it started. However, there were no fairs in 1917–18, 1942–45, or 2020.