By Brian Owens, Reporter
The annual Charlotte County Fall Fair, held at Ganong Nature Park, in St. Stephen was one of the largest yet in the event’s 15-year history.
“It keeps growing every year, and we’re seeing great attendance,” said Colleen Winchester, chair of the organizing committee.
More than 1,600 people attended on Saturday, Sept 19 with a smaller crowd on Sunday. The fair featured more than 60 artisans and food vendors, along with entertainment and activities provided by another 60 artists, musicians, local clubs and service providers.
Along with returning favourites like hayrides, historical re-enactors, the homesteading tent and kids’ zone, new attractions included performances by two professional magicians, Remi Boudreau and Ian Stewart; Huntley Brook Indigenous Drummers; and canine agility demonstrations by Creative Canine Coaching.
The theme of this year’s fair was “Cultivating Community,” and Winchester said they worked hard to include as many agricultural elements as possible, including the Make It, Grow It, Show It Exhibition and a temporary Acadian forest planted by the Charlotte County Men’s Club, which also built a river run simulating how logs were once transported down the St. Croix River.
“Those kinds of heritage skills are something that young people aren’t often exposed to these days,” she said.
But the highlight this year, said Winchester, was a new event: the County Challenge. Four teams representing local non-profit groups competed in a “farmers’ Olympics,” featuring farming — and fishing-based relay obstacle courses such as a Christmas tree drag, lobster trap hauling and wood carrying for a cash prize.
