At The Fair




 

"The Pig"

Our rendezvous with friends Bob and Shino in Ganges coincided with the Fall Fair on Salt Spring Island, and a fun fair it was!  The old-fashioned country fair was a showcase of prize winning livestock, including sheep, horses, chicken, turkeys, and “the pig;” we even found "Charlotte's Web" hanging above the barn door.    

Sheep Shearing

Farming demonstrations included blacksmithing, saw milling, wool processing, sheep shearing, and sheep herding by well-trained dogs.  

Sheep Dog Controlling Her Sheep

We had seen sheep shearing before but had never seen a dog actually herd sheep into a pen, a fascinating process to watch.  Antique cars, old tractors, and an operating thrashing machine were also on the grounds along with food vendors and a variety of live music for entertainment.  

Shepherd and Sheep Dog

One of the most popular events was the “Zucchini Races” which lasted a good part of the day due to the many entrees for the event.  

Zucchinis Ready to Race

Zucchinis of various sizes are decorated and wheels added to create a zucchini go-cart.  The zucchini go-carts are released down a track with three different lanes and a winner declared for each heat; winners participate later in the final heats.  

The Zucchini Races

Depending on the design of weight and balance, some of the zucchinis finished the race while others flew off the track and landed in a heap, what fun!  Of course no fair is complete without the prized produce from local gardens and homemade pies and cakes receiving ribbons along with jams, brews, and artistic crafts.  

Farm Tractors at Fair Grounds

This fun, community Fall Fair is sponsored by the Salt Spring Farmer’s Institute which was Founded in 1895.  The Institute owns ten acres which include exhibition halls, livestock buildings, show rings, an outdoor stage, and a museum.  The goal of the Institute is to support Island farmers and encourage preservation and development of agriculture on Salt Spring Island.  The Museum on the grounds is housed in an 1884 house which was built in the village of Vesuvius on Salt Spring Island and later moved to the Farmers’ Institute property in 1980.  

The Museum

The Museum is filled with donated items given by families of the Island covering the early settlers from the 1880’s until the 1950’s.  The artifacts at the Museum are quite interesting and the archival photographs are excellent.  

Free bus service was provided to and from the fairgrounds, but by late afternoon there was such a long line for the bus going back to town that we decided to walk; the terrain is flat the entire way so it was an easy walk of just under a mile.  

A Donkey Yawns at the Fair

After a short rest at one of our favorite coffee shops, we joined Bob and Shino for a dockside party at the marina.  Owners of “Sea Sport” boats, like Bob’s and Shino’s boat, had planned a potluck get-together and they kindly invited us to join the group.  We were happy to meet such delightful people and had a wonderful time, such a pleasant way to end the day.