Fall fairs have a long tradition in southwestern Ontario. The earliest fall fairs in Lambton County were held in the 1840s.
Five areas continue to celebrate annual fall fairs: Plympton-Wyoming, Petrolia and Enniskillen, Forest, Alvinston, and Brigden.
Women were traditionally involved in fairs by preparing baking and handicrafts. However, they have also worked together in groups to organize and execute events. Jodey Nurse noted while she was writing her PhD thesis at the University of Guelph that after World War II, “[Women at the fair] were not just doing the food and fancywork, they were sometimes showing livestock and they participated more on the fair boards.”
For many agricultural societies, in the 1960s and 1970s women took on greater responsibilities such as construction projects or sitting on the main fair board. The diversification of tasks has continued to the present day.
The Brigden Fair
Women have been active in agricultural societies across Lambton County, but we selected Brigden as a case study for this exhibit.
The first fall fair in the Brigden area was held in 1850 when local farmers gathered their best cattle and horses for show. However, it would not be until 1958 when female volunteers were formally organized. On February 19, 1958 a Homecraft Division of female volunteers was established, with Ina McKellar as the first President. Women were responsible for many developments at the Brigden Fair, including Amy (Poland) Dawson who designed the first logo of the fair.
When the Moore Agricultural Society constructed a new building in the late 1970s, the women's group helped raise money for the building and to furnish and equip the kitchen. Women also helped construction by climbing scaffolding to paint walls. In 1980 the first female President helmed the Brigden Fair when Lorene Sharp took the reins.
View the script of a skit put on by the Moore Agricultural Society in 1990 celebrating the 140th anniversary of the Brigden Fair.
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