The Rural Voice, 1991-09, Page 33taste of rural Ontario. It's a return to
their roots."
Although fall fairs exist to keep
agriculture in front of the public,
politics are sometimes imposcd on the
fair-goer's attention. Every politician
from the local reeve up to Member of
Parliament has his or her introduction
at the official opening ceremony. All
seem able to recall the part their party
played in the fair's development.
Before an ordinary fair -goer can
rub shoulders with these famous poli-
ticians, they rush off to the next fair
down the road. Never mind, on its
front page, the local weekly will pic-
ture those essential moments when
civic officials held the fair's micro-
phone.
To organize and run a fair means
many people work hard, some well
before the big day: the agricultural
society's board of directors, its various
conveners, 4-H Club leaders, and
teachers. On fair day, ticket -takers,
judges, and food counter help try to
ensure a smooth -running event. All
are volunteers.
"I'd like to do a survey on the
number of volunteers (implying that
the number would be considerable)
who participate in fall fairs in this
province," Trolove says.
"A fall fair," she says, "is really a
test of volunteerism."
For an admission of two or three
dollars, fair goers get a bargain.
Where else can they see so much in
one place? Those beautiful quilts
representing hours of labour recall a
past when people had time to toil on
such tasks. Sleek horses rivet every-
one's attention in the parade, winning
handily over the ubiquitous tractors.
The colorful vegetables which few can
find time to grow at home, are unequi-
vocally acknowledged to be more
succulent than the store-bought
variety.
For the price of admission other
vignettes present themselves:
• the prowling mother who wants
to photograph her child manipulating a
calf in the ring;
• the never-ending line-up in front
of the boiling cauldron at the hot corn
on the cob outlet;
• the rolling landscape, a sight
envied by city folk who live eaves -
trough to eavestrough;
• the appreciative crowd seated on
the grassy embankment in front of the
makeshift grandstand where the senior
band plays familiar country music;
• the curious children who peek:
through the cages at geese, through the
lineup at the cotton candy concession,
and through the crowd at the opening
parade.
What does a fall fair mean to exhi-
bitors?
"They're fairly good prizes, maybe
$10 for the winning bushel of potatoes
or $20 for a purebred cow or bull. But
if we didn't have our own vehicles to
transport our cattle, it wouldn't be
worth it," Stewart says.
"You'd have to enjoy doing it to
keep doing it."
In one corner of the fairgrounds, a
4-H girl curries a calf in preparation
for the judging. Her efforts represent
more than hoping to win a prize. A
winner's red ribbon symbolizes pride
of ownership, showmanship, and
eventual perfection. The prize money
is only a token.
As Stewart points out, "Getting
ready involves more than the month
before the fair. If an exhibitor is going
to show an animal, he or she starts
Since time immemorial, poultry has always attracted inquisitive youngsters.
SEPTEMBER 1991 29