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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.