The 166th annual Barrie Fair continued today with many families getting in early to beat the crowds and to give kids a chance to see the animals that are on display all over the Essa Agriplex Fairgrounds.
For some families, it was also a chance to maintain a decades-old tradition.
Debbie Gorry brought her daughter and grandkids out Saturday morning to see the dog show, farm animals and to enjoy each other’s company.
“We’ve been coming for about 40 years, it's just good family fun,” said Gorry. “We went when it was at the fairgrounds on Essa Road, too. It wasn’t quite as big then, but they have much more area to work with on this site. It’s a wonderful tradition to hand down and it gives all time to be with each other.”
Meanwhile, some families have just started their tradition.
Stephanie McEachern and husband, Scott, brought their two children to the fair for the first time. Showing up bright and early at 9:30 a.m., she told BarrieToday it was the first time coming as mom and day. And for them, the animals seemed to be the best part of the day.
“We hadn’t been here before with the kids, so we didn’t know what to expect,” said McEachern. “We did get here a little too early, it seems, as the midway didn’t open until 12 p.m. and the kids were already getting tired. But they did love looking at the animals, there are a lot of them to see and it's not every day they get the chance.”
The fair has always been about farmers and their livelihood, as a way to sell and buy livestock and tools.
That includes people like Gregg Frederick, who owns a farm in Peterborough and attends 18 to 20 fairs a year looking for deals for his cattle.
Frederick told BarrieToday that while it is business, it is about the social aspect of it as well.
“It's like any other sport, in a sense, and it can be a sport to us as we try to outdo the other farmers and sell our cattle before them,” he said. “I’ve been doing this since I was old enough to. There is some fierce competition, but all in the name of camaraderie. It’s a competitive market, but we are all in this together and these fairs help us keep in touch and see what each other needs.”
The fair starts Sunday at 9 a.m. with the popular demolition derby beginning at 12 p.m.
