Markham Fair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Markham Fair |
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One of the fair's shows at night
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| Genre | fall fair/Agricultural show |
| Dates | 4 days (week before Thanksgiving: last week of September or first week of October) |
| Location(s) | Markham, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 43°55′29″N 79°17′41″W / 43.92472°N 79.29478°W |
| Years active | 180 years |
| Founded | 1844 |
| Website | https://markhamfair.ca |
The Markham Fair is one of Canada's oldest country fairs. It's an exciting annual event that started way back in 1844! The fair is put on by the Markham, Ontario and East York Agricultural Society.
More than 700 volunteers work together on over 70 different teams to make the fair happen. This makes Markham Fair the biggest volunteer-run group in Canada! The fair and its grounds are owned by the Markham and East York Agricultural Society.
The fair takes place every year on the weekend before Canadian Thanksgiving. Over 80,000 people visit the fair each year. About 3,000 people, called exhibitors, enter more than 12,000 items. These items are judged and then put on display for everyone to see. This kind of friendly competition makes fairs very special!
Long ago, agricultural societies met to talk about new ways to farm. They discussed how to improve livestock (farm animals) and grow more grain. Sometimes, they even bought a bull or seeds together for their members. The fall fair was a chance for farmers to show off their best crops and animals.
Today, with new technology, these societies don't need to meet as often. But Markham Fair still brings the community together. It's a place to show off talents and products in a fun, competitive way. Besides the displays, you can enjoy many types of entertainment. These include horse pull events, demolition derby, tractor pull, and exciting midway rides. You can also see lots of farm animals!
Sadly, the 2020 Markham Fair was cancelled. This was due to safety worries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Contents
Exploring the Fairgrounds
The Markham Fairgrounds are in northern Markham. You can find them at the northeast corner of McCowan Road and Elgin Mills Road. The fairgrounds cover about 104 acres (42 hectares) of land. This land used to be farms.
The site has several buildings. These are used for trade shows and other events throughout the year. There's also a 1/2-mile track and four wooden stables for animals. To the east of the fairgrounds, you'll find Little Rouge Creek.
The first fairground was in a different spot. It was where the Markham Village Library is today. That's at the southeast corner of Markham Road and Highway 7. The fair moved to its current location in 1977. This happened because the old area became less about farming.
The current library building looks a bit like the old Agricultural Hall. That hall used to stand on the old fairground site. A big fire in 1916 burned down the hall and other buildings. Only the ice rink was rebuilt much later, in 1963. This rink is now part of the Markham Village Community Centre.
Exciting Fair Events
Many fun shows and events happen during the fair. In past years, these shows have included:
- Agri-food Tent Shows (where you can watch cooking demonstrations)
- Gymnastics demonstrations
- Freestyle Moto-Cross (FMX) Bike demonstrations
- Demolition Derby (cars crashing!)
- Tractor Pull competitions
- Sheep Shearing demonstrations
Other Activities at the Fairgrounds
The fairgrounds are busy even when the fair isn't happening. Many local events use the space. These include home shows, trade shows, and big warehouse sales.
Fun at the Midway
World's Finest Shows runs the midway at the fair. The midway is full of exciting rides and games. You can find it near the West Gate of the fairgrounds.
A Look Back: Fair History
The first fair recorded in Markham was in 1857. It was held at the fairgrounds near Highways 7 and 48. Before that, fairs were also held in Unionville, Ontario in 1855 and in Markham itself.
In 1865, Captain William Armstrong gave 5 acres (2 hectares) of his land for the fairgrounds. Buildings like a grandstand, track, stalls, and an exhibition hall were built there. A new, bigger hall and rink were planned in 1894. But in 1916, a fire destroyed these buildings. They were later replaced with an even larger Agricultural Hall, also called the Crystal Palace. This huge brick rink was an early recreation center.
In 1963, the fair buildings were taken down. This made space for the Markham Village Cenotaph and Community Centre. The Community Centre includes an indoor ice rink. In 1977, the Fair moved to its current location. That's where the four-day fair is held every year before Canadian Thanksgiving. The Markham Village Library was built in 1980-1981 on the old fairground site. It was designed to look like the old Agricultural Hall.
How the Fair is Run
The Markham and East York Agricultural Society is a group that owns and runs the fair. It's managed by a board of 24 directors. These directors are chosen at an annual meeting and serve for three years. There are also six junior directors (ages 18-26) who are chosen each year. All directors are elected by the society's members. After the meeting, a President, two vice-presidents, a Treasurer, General Manager, and Secretary are chosen from the directors.
The Society's Goals
The society's main goal is to promote farming and improve life for people in farming communities. They do this by:
- Finding and creating programs that help the community.
- Holding annual agricultural shows with competitions and prizes.
- Encouraging the protection of natural resources.
- Helping to make the community more beautiful.
- Supporting and providing places for activities that make the community better.
More than 750 volunteers also help run the fair. They fill board positions and form about 75 committees. These committees share the work of managing the fair and its daily operations.
