Central Saanich celebrates a milestone of rich agricultural heritage as the Saanich Fair celebrates its 150th anniversary, Saturday to Monday at the Saanich Fairgrounds.
The annual event, the oldest continuous agricultural fair west of the Great Lakes, is hosted by the North and South Saanich Agricultural Society.
The Labour Day tradition, which unofficially marks another summer鈥檚 end, is a three-day weekend fling filled with food, more than 5,000 exhibits, midway rides and lots of animals.
鈥淲e want to give the public an opportunity to see the agricultural sector,鈥� said Clara Knight, president of the society that organizes the show.
In 1868, 10 local farmers got together to create an agricultural fair to show off their accomplishments, on and off the field, in the spirit of friendly competition.
The location of the fair, always held on one of the 10 farmers鈥� fields, changed every year. The first fair was held on Robert Brown鈥檚 property 鈥� which is across the road from where the fair is located today.
With a bit of foresight, they purchased property and the first community hall for $650. Today, the Saanich Fairgrounds encompasses a collection of buildings on 17.5 hectares of land used annually for the fair and throughout the rest of the year by dozens of community organizations.
More than 45,000 people are expected to visit the fair over three days.
鈥淧eople will see 28 different aspects of country life,鈥� said Knight. 鈥淭hey will meet some of the seventh generation of farmers 鈥� the youngest ones still in pre-school 鈥� who still work the land.鈥�
There will be reminders of the fair鈥檚 150 years in the form of a collection of fair catalogues 鈥� they were able to find 125 of the 150 years 鈥� in a gallery in the main hall.
Each of the 28 departments will also have historical background.
Farm animals, from alpacas to pigs and everything in between, will be on show in barns and stalls. Young members of 4-H clubs 鈥� the name stands for head, heart, health and hands 鈥� will chat about care and grooming of their charges, which include chickens, donkeys, rabbits and ducks.
Livestock competitions, with judges determining the best animal in each category, take place daily. As well, there will be shows to demonstrate dog agility, and alpaca, llama and sheep shearing.
Remarkably, the fee to enter any of the competitions is still 50 cents 鈥� the same amount as when the gates opened 150 years ago.
Other attractions include about 28 midway rides and more than 60 vendors and concessions. New this year is the inclusion of Buy sa国际传媒, which will have six stations where people can sample the province鈥檚 agriculture, food and seafood.
There will be two concerts, with headliners Chris Buck Band performing 8 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 54.40 delighting the crowds, 8:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The fair is the culmination of efforts by the North and South Saanich Agricultural Society鈥檚 11 board members, the five paid staff and between 1,000 and 2,000 volunteers who ensure the fair is a success.
鈥淲e are lucky to have a big community spirit. Some of those volunteers have been with us between 40 and 50 years,鈥� said Knight. 鈥淭he oldest is 97 years old.鈥�
Admission is $13 for adults on Saturday and Sunday, $12 on Monday; $8 for seniors and youth on Saturday and Sunday, $7 on Monday; free for children six and under.
The fair is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at the fairgrounds, 1528 Stelly鈥檚 Cross Rd., Saanichton. Free parking. No dogs allowed. For more information, go to saanichfair.ca.
