The Brampton Fall Fair is an annual agricultural and entertainment event in Brampton, Ontario. It features agricultural displays, animals, 4H events, a midway, entertainment, demolition derby, and a Homecraft exhibit.

History The first Brampton Fall Fair was held in 1853. During the early 1830s, farmers from the 212 farms of Chinguacousy Township gathered at Martin Salisbury's Tavern for biannual fairs.

As the Industrial Revolution and other influences changed society, agriculture transformed from a subsistence process to a commercial industry, a change that was followed by an increase in demand for equipment, supplies, and power. The government created an act in 1853 to enable and assist counties in forming agricultural boards. The resulting government-funded organization was the County of Peel Agricultural Society.

In 1853, a small agricultural fair was set up by the organization and held to the west of Main and Queen Streets, near the current location of Brampton City Hall.

The event was modest overall. Prized horses and cattle were showcased, and whole grains, root vegetables, dairy and other produce were displayed for sale. One could suggest this was the precursor of today's Brampton Farmers' Market. This agricultural fair eventually became the modern Brampton Fall Fair.

The original fairgrounds spanned seven acres (28328.00m²) and were located at Wellington and Main Street. The land was purchased in 1871 for $1235. This property was eventually sold to make way for the County Jail and Courthouse. The Peel Heritage Complex museum and art gallery now occupy the property. In 1884, the fairgrounds were relocated to thirteen acres {52609m²} of land on Elliot Street. According to Brampton: An Illustrated History, the land from the Elliot Street location was sold to the Agricultural Society by William McConnell, owner of the Brampton Driving Park.

Once a highlight for farmers, draft horse competitions were replaced in the 1920s by tractor demonstrations. Still, many of the Fair's displayed picks for top riding horses went on to win at the Canadian National Exhibition and Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

The Junior Farmers' Building and the Memorial Arena were erected on the Brampton Fall Fair Elliot Street grounds in 1950, and the Brampton Curling Club was constructed in 1951. Because of its unique all-wood roof structure, Memorial Arena has recently been used for a Tim Hortons ad. The Canadian curling-themed feature film Men with Brooms (2002), starring Paul Gross and Leslie Nielsen, was partially filmed at the Memorial and the Brampton Curling Club. A lacrosse box was added to the ground in 1971.

Most residents associate the Brampton Fall Fair with midway rides and games more than agriculture and handicrafts. This association began in 1975, with the addition of Campbell Amusements. The 1980s brought antique car shows to the fair, and the 1990s brought the demolition derbies.

Present The Brampton Fair Grounds (Now Old Fairgrounds Park) were sold to the City of Brampton in March 1992, with the exception of the Brampton Curling Club properties.

In 1995, the Region of Peel Agricultural Society bought of land at Heart Lake Road and Old School Road in Caledon, moving the fair to that location in September 1997 for its 144th season.

The new location includes the Peel Junior Farmers Hall (6,000 sq. ft.), meeting rooms, the Show and Sale Pavilion (33,000 sq. ft.), ten multi-purpose buildings, and outdoor show rings.

The Fall Fair's Homecraft Division, consists of arts & crafts, photography, handicrafts, needlework, baking and kitchen craft, gardening and flowers, fruits and vegetables, quilting, arrangements, and antiques. Many of these categories have both junior and adult versions. Special categories for developmentally challenged students have been introduced recently to the fair.

There was no Fall Fair in 2020.

Fairgrounds There are four permanent structures on the fairgrounds:

Main Fair Entrance, Fair Offices and Junior Farmer Hall Agricultural Display Building Livestock Show and Sales Building Multi-Purpose Building

Highlights 165th September 15 - 16, 2018 Theme: Into the Garden

Presidents

1853 Peleg Howland 1854 R.C. Smith 1855-57 John Vodden 1858 John Tilt 1859-60 James Patterson 1861-63 John Tilt 1864-65 R.A. Hartley 1866-67 Emerson Taylor 1868-69 M. Perdue 1870-72 J.P. Hutton 1873 Wm. Elliott 1874-75 John C. Spell 1876-78 Rich Hamilton 1879-80 James Jackson 1881 John Smith 1882-85 George Cheyne 1886-88 J.P. Hutton 1889-90 A.F. Campbell 1890-91 S.J. Person 1892 John Smith 1893-94 J.J. Stewart 1895-98 Robt. Crawford 1899-1900 J.H. Watson 1901-02 W.H. Rutledge 1903-04 Dr. J.F. Quin 1905-06 H.C.Clarridge 1907-08 J.D. Orr 1909-10 H.A. Dolson 1911-12 F.J. Jackson 1913 J.R. Cole & L.J.C. Bull 1914 L.J.C. Bull 1915-16 Darius McClure 1917-18 Jas. Laidlaw 1919-20 Albert Hewson 1921-22 W.B. McCullock 1923-24 W.J. Hunter 1925-26 Dr. F. Hutchinson 1927-28 Thos. Dolson 1929-30 James Tilt 1931-32 Frank Fenwick 1933-34 W. Gladstone Shaw 1935-36 W.L. Wilkinson 1936-37 J.W. Crashley 1937-38 Alex McKinney, Jr. 1939-40 Wm. Bovaird 1941 Charles R. Fendley 1942 Charles London 1943 Haddon Pegg 1944-45 J.M. Fraser 1946 Douglas S. Dunton 1947-49 J.N. Duncan 1950-51 Oscar Graham 1952-53 J.W. Wiggins 1954-55 Fred Gowland 1956 C.M. Hutton 1957-59 J.M. Brownridge 1960-61 J.J. Shaw 1962-63 L.R. Livingston 1964-65 John H. McCulloch 1966-67 Allen A. Andrews 1968-69 Richard House 1970-71 Donald A. Garbutt 1972-73 Wm. Brander 1974-75 Jack Klassen 1976-77 Wm. Taylor 1978-79 John M. McClure 1980-81 J. Albert Dunn 1982-83 David M. Julian 1984-85 John Johnson 1986-87 Jean House 1988 Ross Milne 1989-90 Fred Kee 1991-92 Joanne Currie 1993-95 Wm. R. Richardson 1996-97 Ken Williamson 1998-99 Trevor Small 2000-01 Peter Armstrong 2002-03 Bill Jackson 2004-05 Tereska Matthews 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2017 Al Woolley 2018 Bill Morrison 2019 Allan Wrigglesworth 2022 Erin Ziegler 2025 Donald Neelands

Secretaries of the fair Despite the job title, the position is equivalent to a manager.

1857-70 John Lynch 1871 A.B. Scott 1872-74 D.L. Scott 1875 J.P. Clark 1876-85 A. Armour 1886-1901 Henry Roberts 1902-10 John Cooney 1911-16 Miss. M.M. Kirkwood 1917-23 John H. Watson 1924-25 Robt. McCullock 1926-35 T.W. Thomson 1936 Frank Kitto, Wilma Snyder, Assistant 1937 D.E. Smith 1938-44 Fred McBride 1945-69 H.J. Laidlaw 1970-76 Robert J. Shaw 1977-82 Jack Klassen 1983 Pam Gillette 1983-84 Leona Allen 1985-88 Diane Irwin 1988-89 Norma Reinhart 1989-90 Vern Breen 1990-96 Ken Ewan, Brenda Bebbington, Assistant 1997-2018 Brenda Bebbington 2022-Present Sam Catalfamo

See also Other Canadian annual fairs Canadian National Exhibition - Toronto Calgary Stampede - Calgary Edmonton K-Days - Edmonton Pacific National Exhibition - Vancouver Central Canada Exhibition - Ottawa Canadian Lakehead Exhibition - Thunder Bay Markham Fair - Markham, Ontario Red River Exhibition - Winnipeg Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - Toronto Royal Manitoba Winter Fair - Brandon, Manitoba Schomberg Fair - Schomberg, Ontario Sooke Fall Fair - Sooke, British Columbia Streetsville Bread and Honey Festival - Mississauga Western Fair - London, Ontario

References

External links Brampton Fall Fair