Coldwater Fall Fair returns for first time since 2019
Just as the calendar switches to fall, an annual seasonal favourite has returned to the heart of Coldwater.
The Coldwater Fall Fair kicked off Friday afternoon for the first time in three years. This year marks the 129th iteration of the popular event, with festivities having kicked off at 1 p.m. Friday.
"In most communities, the fall fair is probably the oldest event in the community, so it's just a sense of community and a sense of heritage and traditions that people don't see every day, but they come out once a year, and they kind of relive that tradition," says Matt Murray, the president of the Coldwater & District Agriculture Society.
The weekend-long festivities kicked off with a parade through the town, ending with a grand reopening at the Coldwater & District Agriculture Society's cattle barn. The barn burned down in 2019, leading to the fair being put on pause.
"That first day, we had about 30 volunteers come out and help us fence temporary fencing around it," says Murray. "And we actually gained closed to $20,000 in donations from the community to help us rebuild that barn, and that really gave us a sense of community and shows that people care that the volunteers at the fair are doing something that everybody really wants to have."
Throughout the weekend, up to 15,000 people are expected to come through the fair, with the mayor saying people come from far and wide.
"The fall fair is something that everyone looks forward to, and it's important because you meet all your friends and family. It's a great outing for the weekend," says Mike Burkett, the mayor of the Township of Severn.
This year the fair includes a midway, a demolition derby and plenty of food to satisfy any sweet tooth.
It starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with gates closing around 4 p.m. Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.