August is winding down, Labour Day long weekend approaches and the return to school looms for children (and some adults) in Victoria BC. It must be time for the Saanich Fall Fair! This agricultural fair has marked the end of summer in Victoria for 145 years and is a not to be missed tradition for thousands of local families who are living in Victoria.
Whether you enjoy the nostalgia of by-gone days revisited at the historical displays, the excitement of vertigo-inducing midway rides or simply need an occasional fix of cotton candy you’ll find it at the Saanich Fair. It’s a great place to introduce your city-grown kids to the wonders of farm animals… awe inspiring draft horses, comical piglets, fluffy bunnies and who knew that there were so many different types of chickens?
The entire weekend will be packed with entertainment, you’re sure to find something interesting for every member of the family. There are several musical entertainers, Highland dancers, clog dancers and several contests you might choose to enter. There’s even a Spam eating contest for the particularly brave!
I quite enjoy touring the agricultural competitions to see who grew the best carrots, baked the best pies and stitched the finest quilt. The blacksmith demos are always fascinating, and I also want to check out this year’s ‘sheep to shawl’ demo.
The horse show is always impressive, especially the draft horse pulling competition. Few of us are familiar with these spectacular animals and the work they were bred to do, so it’s great to see. The horse show alone is worth the price of admission!
If you are wondering what I’m doing this weekend… I’ll be at the Saanich Fair. Maybe I’ll see you there!
