By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
Dunnville Ag Society to proceed with 2023 fair after 3-year hiatus
By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—Fair fans rejoice! While the future of the Dunnville Fair was recently in doubt due to low volunteer turnout and difficulty raising the needed funds for the event, the Dunnville Agricultural Society (DAS) has decided to move forward with the annual event, scheduled this year for August 12-13, 2023 at Lion’s Park.
“We are very happy to keep going,” said Anne Vanderknyff, Secretary-Treasurer of DAS, who said the decision to continue was based on the high turnout at a recent DAS meeting with new members stepping forward to join the board. “It’s younger people with a lot of ideas. A lot of fresh new faces. It’s great to see.”
Vanderknyff said that the younger generation seemed to grasp that if they didn’t step up, the event would vanish forever.
“Two members of our fair board are in high school. My daughter started on the fair board when she was in Grade 8. That’s a family thing but still, she was our junior board member and she’s still there,” she said. “We have them to pull in their friends and so on for volunteers, and they do need their volunteer hours for graduation. The sooner they get those, the better off they’ll be!”
While the fair will still struggle with some of the issues that plagued it prior to the Covid pandemic shutting it down for three years, namely restrictive space at Lion’s Park limiting the variety and number of events available to patrons, Vanderknyff said the board is getting a lot of great feedback from the community on what they want to see.
“We’re looking at different things,” she noted. “In terms of entertainment, we’ve had some people requesting a demolition derby, or tractor pull … (but) we just don’t have the land for that.”
For a number of years, the fair was held at the Dunnville airport, where the ample space allowed for grander events, but Vanderknyff said that even with the limited space, fair-goers have a lot to look forward to this summer.
“Our main mission is to present agriculture to the community, so that people living in town who’ve never seen a cow except for driving down the road know what happens. About cows, horses, growing food, and so on.”
Keeping in line with their mission statement, the fair will see the return of several tried-and-true traditions, including competitions for knitting and crocheting, vegetable growing, greenage, and seeds. Vanderknyff noted that continuing these traditions is a great way to keep local history alive and bring the next generation into the fold.
She said that while she couldn’t confirm anything yet, DAS is also looking at holding wrestling and horse shows, in addition to a variety of activities geared towards the younger crowd.
“We offer a lot of things for kids too. We have a seed spitting contest, a jello eating contest, their own little tractor pull using a pedal bike,” said Vanderknyff. “We have fun things like that for the kids, and we also have face painting.”
Entrance to the fair will cost $5, while yearly memberships with DAS cost just $7 and include a fair ticket. Vanderknyff said that while the group has had push back from the community for charging an admission, while other events like the Dunnville Mudcat Festival remain free to attend, she said that it’s not a fair comparison.
“We have to charge because the events we put up aren’t free. The things we have on the stage, a wrestling show, isn’t free – we have to pay these people. We also pay for those entries into our different categories with home crafts, baking, canning, and seeds and grains. We have to be able to pay out – we have to make some money somehow.”
DAS will also resume its popular quilt fundraising draw this year, with Vanderknyff noting that it remains a popular draw, adding, “People do like to buy their quilts.”
While DAS has a full board for the first time in years, Vanderknyff said the need remains for volunteers to help things run smoothly.
“Come fair time, there’s always lots of opportunities for volunteering. We need people to babysit in the different buildings, keep an eye on things, working on games, collecting admission, and just generally helping out and doing different things at the fair.… It all takes time to sit down and do these things, all the little behind-the-scenes things you don’t really think about.”
Those interested in joining the effort can call 905-774-8199, or send an email to info@dunnvillefair.ca.
Vandernkyff concluded, “We’ve rested for three years and it’s time to get back out there.”
