There are plenty of smiling faces at the Coldwater Fall Fair this weekend.
For the first time since 2019, the fair is hosting agricultural celebrations, the midway, and food and craft vendors at the Coldwater Community Centre grounds.
JoAnn Warren, one of the organizers of the fair and a past president, says the event has been “packed” with visitors.
“The Coldwater Fall Fair in this community is a big thing,” she said. “All the different community groups are involved with this fair, and when you look around you see kids, older folks — just a wide range of people.”
In 2019 about 14,000 people attended the Coldwater Fall Fair. Warren estimates 13,000 will attend this weekend.
Sunday is family day at the fair. Admission will be slightly cheaper, and there will be a zucchini race and junior farm Olympics.
“We have a whole bunch of things for kids to do,” Warren said. “There are a lot of activities for families that don’t cost any extra.”
The fair committee recognizes times are tough financially because of inflation.
“Kids should be able to come out, enjoy the fair, and learn about agriculture,” Warren said.
“It’s a place to reconnect with your roots in the community. We still have a large agricultural base around here and we have a lot of new people here who have never seen cattle or have been to a country fair before.”
The theme of this year’s fair is Christmas in September.
“It’s a nice way to get some new ideas into some of the competitions that we have,” Warren said. “There are a lot of Christmas enthusiasts around here.”
The biggest challenge this year is a lack of volunteers.
“Volunteers have gone way down because of COVID,” Warren said. “We are trying to do more with fewer people.”
Those interested in volunteering next year can contact fair organizers here. Organizers are also looking for people to help with the takedown of the event Monday at 9 a.m.
A full list of events and the Coldwater Fall Fair schedule can be found here.
