“Un-bee-lievable” fun at the Albion Bolton Fall Fair coming soon

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The 167th Annual Albion Bolton Fall Fair, hosted by the Albion and Bolton Agricultural Society, is just around the corner and is sure to be the “bees knees”.

This year's theme is “Apple Trees and Honey Bees,” with a plethora of activities to match.

The fair will run from September 19 to 21.

The opening ceremonies will take place on Friday evening.

If you're attending the opening ceremony, don't forget to bring your boots.

Free line dance lessons will commence at 7 p.m. on Friday, followed by a barn dance, featuring Hillbilly Martini.

New and exciting things are coming to the Ag learning center this year.

These include a “Farm Market Dash”, where kids will ride pedal tractors and visit the market to collect specific items, gaining a sense of what it takes to be a farmer.

New remote control tractors will be available for this year's remote control derby, and members of the public will have the opportunity to operate them around a set-up course.

Another significant component this year is the educational aspect; for example, a local beekeeper will be coming to help residents learn about bees.

Also new this year is the demonstration stage coming to the Fall Fair.

Local makers will be able to demonstrate various skills, including quilting, crocheting, and crafting wildflower bouquets, among others.

Kids with power wheels, now's your chance, as the Albion and Bolton Agricultural Society is calling you to participate.

Each registered participant will receive a loot bag.

Do you have the best chilli in Caledon?

Prove it at this year's Chilli Cook Off.

Members of the public can donate and then try to judge the variety of bowls.

Proceeds will be donated to Caledon Community Services (CCS).

On Sunday, the gates will be open to the public with free admission in exchange for a donation of a non-perishable food item for CCS.

Last year, they filled two pickup trucks with donations, explained Heather French, First Vice President of the Albion and Bolton Agricultural Society.

This year, they're hoping to collect even more for CCS.

“We would definitely challenge the community to bring one extra item with them,” says French.

French shared that it's extremely important to keep agriculture alive.

“Our mission statement is to promote agriculture within the community to bring urban and rural together.”

Communications Manager for the Albion and Bolton Agricultural Society, Allison Cherry, explained that this year they kept the fair relatively simple to ensure it truly promotes agriculture and its direct impact on everyone.

They shared that they even began attaching price tags to the equipment displays featured, to “open the eyes to the public on how much money farmers are spending to harvest the food for them and show people where their food comes from,” said Cherry.

French shared it's important to not only support local producers, but also to teach kids about agriculture and where their food comes from.

“We think it's important to promote agriculture and keep agriculture alive in our community and let people know where their food comes from,” she says.

One significant aspect of the fair this year is its focus on family.

Sunday is “Family Day”, and the Albion and Bolton Agricultural Society is hoping to make the fair something that families come back to generation after generation, a “family fall tradition.”

“Creating a fun and yet educational experience that they can come back to year after year,” said Cherry.

On Family Day, there will be various events, including a pancake breakfast, baby show, “Chip Off the Old Block,” and more.

There will also be the infamous tug of war, where local schools and firefighters will be coming to defend their title.

To save money, and time, buy your tickets ahead of time at events.frontdoor.plus/host/143.

To see the full schedule for all days visit www.boltontractorpull.ca/schedule.