The William’s Town Fair is the oldest fair in Canada.
It is over 200 years old.
Fun Fair Memory
One of my favorite Williamstown Fair memories has nothing to do with rides or food.
At just 7 weeks old, my son Adam won the “Chubbiest Baby” ribbon at the fair.
Fast forward a few years and the joke is entirely on us — he shot up like a weed, turning into a tall, lean young man almost overnight. Proof that fair-day titles don’t predict a thing ha!
A Bit of History: Why the Williamstown Fair Matters
The Williamstown Fair isn’t just another small-town fall fair — it holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously running fair in Canada.
Founded in 1812, the fair began as a way for early settlers in Glengarry County to share agricultural knowledge, showcase livestock, and build community in a new and often challenging land.
Long before modern entertainment or large-scale exhibitions, fairs like this were practical, essential gatherings — places where farmers compared crops, learned better methods, and celebrated survival as much as success.
What makes the Williamstown Fair remarkable isn’t just its age, but its continuity.
Through wars, economic downturns, and massive cultural change, the fair has carried on — adapting just enough to stay relevant while preserving its roots.
Many of today’s staples — livestock shows, home-craft competitions, baking, preserves, and local displays — mirror the same categories that would have been featured generations ago.
At its core, the Williamstown Fair reflects something we don’t see much anymore:
community built around contribution, not consumption.
People didn’t come just to be entertained — they came to participate.
That spirit still shows up today. Whether it’s handmade goods, local food, agricultural exhibits, or familiar midway traditions, the fair remains a living snapshot of rural Ontario’s history — not polished or commercialized beyond recognition, but grounded in where it began.
For families, it’s more than a day out.
It’s a quiet lesson in heritage, resilience, and the value of showing up year after year.
It has been a good summer. We had our 5-year-old grandson for nearly 3 weeks and our new grandson was born in July. We’ve had a lot of relaxation and fun. Now, Hubby has to go back to work this Wednesday, and hopefully I can get back on a regular schedule of eating, exercising, reading, and writing.
Yes I think most of us are on a similar summer schedule!
Good for you having your grandson for so long! You sound like a fantastic Grandmum!
Cheers and happy end of the summer to you and your family!
Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer, I live and breathe to be a grandma! Cheers and happy end of the summer to you and your family, also. 🙂
My summer has been a blur to be honest. With my mom passing away in May it has been a little crazy trying to get the estate settled, the house cleaned out and sold…I’m glad fall is around the corner. It brings football which is a welcomed distraction.
In fact I played football with a guy who retired from Canadian football. His name is Ben Zambiasi. Have you ever heard of him?