The Citizen, 1995-05-31, Page 34110 NORTH STREET, GODERICH, ONTARIO, N7A 2T8, (519) 524-2686
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Page 10
---- Stops Along The Way '95- - - -
Belgrave School Fair celebrates 75th anniversary
highlight of that celebration, was a two-day
program held in June.
Vincent recalls that a piper and drummer
were hired for $15 to lead the 25th
anniversary fair parade. A booth selling
hotdogs had always been a feature, but since
the 1945 fair date fell on meatless Tuesday,
initiated in Canada to help send food
overseas, they were missing that year.
In 1949, the Belgrave Community Centre
was built which offered better housing for
the displays. The livestock pens and
showrings were set up prior to the fair.
Entries were brought in the evening before
the fair, rather than the morning. That year
they numbered 2,512.
More great changes came to the fair with
the centralization of schools under the Huron
County Board of Education, most
significantly a change of name in 1967 to the
Continued on page 11
TROUT FISHING
3 miles North of Blyth, 3 miles West
(1 ml. North of Westfield)
• NO ENTRY FEE
• NO FISHING LICENSE RE9UIRED
• FARM POND STOCKERS
* Or Fish AvallableN
From Our Tanks
6 for $12.50 cleaned'
Gloria and Dave Hedley 357-2329
R.R. #1, Belgrave NOG 1E0 Wingham Ontario NPONPN 75 km
LONOON
you are invited to the 10th Annual.
Here birdie!
The exhibits at the Be!grave School Fair, one of only two remaining in the
province, are done entirely by children. 390 Parsons Crt. (just off Suncoast Dr, E)
Friday, September 29 - 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, September 30 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, October 1 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
By Bonnie Gropp
If you happened upon the hamlet of
Belgrave on a day in mid-September, you
would be amazed by the sight of a swarm
people congregated in the area of the arena
and ballpark.
For 75 years, this small rural community
located on Hwy 4, just south of Wingham,
has been the site of an annual school fair.
Once the mainstay of agricultural life and
education like Christmas pageants and
music festivals, these student fall fairs were
abundant. Today, the Belgrave Fair stands as
only one of two remaining in the province.
A spirit of its early years adds vintage
flavour to the fair, which is devoted to the
same thing it was in the days of one-room
schools.
This year to celebrate its 75 year history a
special variety night was held May 26,
featuring local talent, many of whom are
seasoned performers, as well as the voices of
the Belgrave and Blyth public school choirs.
Also, Harold Vincent, who was a young
schoolboy at the first fair in 1920, and his
wife Edith, have compiled an extensive
history from memories and documents.
Vincent recalls how much time and effort
has been donated so willingly by community
people towards the fair since its inception.
It all began in 1920 ,vhen an agricultural
representative with the county met with
some school trustees to organize that first
event. There were nine schools taking part,
three from Morris Twp. and six in East
Wawanosh Twp.
For the one-room school teacher it meant
a lot of work. Exhibits included regular
school work done during the previous year
as well as, individual art projects and writing
samples. Teachers used any spare time they
had, with teaching eight classes, to get the
projects completed.
The first fair was held on Oct. 5, with
several buildings being used to house the
exhibits. It was a time to draw the
community together and has, every year
since, with the exception of 1939 when a
polio epidemic resulted in the cancelling of
the school fairs.
In 1921 the first school fair concert was
held in the Forester's Hall. It continued for
45 years. The first concert was put on by the
school children, while subsequent ones
featured adult talent as well. The concerts
sometimes took the form of contests
between Morris and East Wawanosh, with
themes such as Scottish versus Irish, Vincent
recalls.
In 1945, as World War II saw its end, the
Belgrave School Fair celebrated its silver
anniversary year. The music festival, a
Display and Sale of
— Crafts —
• Produce • Door Prizes • Lunch Room
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