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
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.