Animals, fun, music and more at “Home for the Harvest” fair

Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
The true spirit of the County’s agricultural scene was on full display at the Ameliasburgh Fall Fair Saturday with horses and cattle, produce, pumpkins, flowers and more.

And while the horse and cattle shows in particular are serious business for the young people participating, where bragging rights, reputation, prize money and ribbons are at stake, both shows came with a fun element too.

After all the hard work and stress of showing the cattle and horses, a bit of relief in the way of some silliness ensued when it came to dressing up said animals (handlers too), much to the amusement of those watching the antics unfold. Whether it was sparkles, fluorescent or furry fabrics, a hat, a bandana or a skirt, or maybe ruffles, the decoration and the costumes certainly brought smiles and laughter to all.

But the fair isn’t just about animals or dressing up, where it caters to an entire variety of almost everything imaginable a fall fair should be about, along with a slew of food vendors.

That includes magic tricks, bouncy inflatable castles, balloon creations of the twisted kind, operating a radio-controlled model ship in the pool, face painting, games and activities galore, plus a scavenger hunt, all free for children under 12 (everyone else paid $5 for the full day’s entertainment).

For the bigger kids, there was a vendors’ market, live musical entertainment, craft show, baking (plus auction), arts and crafts to admire, and a silent auction.

Judged categories had entrants vying for best pepper, biggest gourd, tastiest jam or jelly, included knitted and a good assortment of hand-made items, including quilting and needlepoint, along with woodworking.

Held at Roblin Lake Park, the Ameliasburgh Fall Fair celebrated the harvest season this year, where the theme was “Home for the Harvest”, and it did indeed see the usual big crowds, and the usual fine fair weather for this full-day annual event.

Musical entertainment lasted all afternoon with Junkyard Symphony who provided tricks, juggling, interactive games with the youngest audience members, music and more.

The Faire Maidens Choir played earlier in the day, but to close out the fair for the latter part of the afternoon, crowds were entertained by Justin Rutledge and his band, Secret Beach who played a variety of tunes, including a few good oldies.

And for those who were up bright and early, there was a parade that began a Kente Public School and wound its way to the fairgrounds, followed by opening ceremonies for this 171st edition with Ameliasburgh’s own Olympian rower, Brian Price.