Renfrew Fair is a smashing success
Posted Sep 13, 2022 12:00:00 AM.
When the last of the vendors closed up their booths at the 167th edition of the Renfrew Fair on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 11, it marked the end of a weekend that was one of the most successful editions of the fair in recent memory.
Organizers estimate that more than 20,000 people passed through the gates at some point over the four-day event, and the weekend was highlighted with close to 8,900 entering the grounds on Saturday, Sept. 10, many of them coming to watch the return of the demolition derby.
Judy Dobec, general manager of the Renfrew Fair, said the weekend was an incredible success and the combination of excellent weather and the desire for the visitors to return to something traditional were big factors for high attendance figures.
“Last year we had a scaled down version of the fair and it generated a desire to keep the fair going and offer more variety,” she said. “We don’t have all the numbers in yet but we will likely be around 20,000 going through the gates and that is not counting all the vendors, the teams in the horse competitions, and the volunteers.”
The derby traditionally signaled the beginning of the fair as it was held on the Wednesday evening of the five-day event, but the switch to a four-day fair meant the derby had to be either re-scheduled or cancelled. There was also the added pressure of COVID and the suggestion at the time to avoid largely populated events also forced the cancellation of the 2021 derby.
There was no denying the popularity of the derby judging by the enthusiastic crowd that filled the stands long before the first horn was sounded to start the event. Scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., the stands were quickly filling up by 5 p.m. In fact, there were only a few spots remaining by 6 p.m.
For the first time in years the entire grandstand was packed and fair volunteers quickly dragged additional bleacher seating from the equestrian area in order to accommodate the larger-than-expected crowd.
Even the additional bleachers were not enough to guarantee everyone a seat and crowds along the fencing separating the track and the visitor’s area were five and six-people deep in some areas.
Unlike most past fairs, there was usually one or two days that the weather did not cooperate and quite often the rain kept patrons away. However, the shift from a five-day fair to a four-day event and perfect weather had the crowds rolling in on a consistent basis.
Paul Neville, who is serving his first term as fair board president, thanked the volunteers and out-of-town guests for participating in this year’s fair.
“There is no way this fair could be successful without the incredible efforts of all the volunteers,” he said. “You look around and you will notice them emptying garbage cans, getting the ground ready for the horses or the demolition derby and they are there. Along with all the visitors who come from far beyond the traditional 60-mile radius of Renfrew, it made the fair a great success.”
Among those who travelled a great distance were the competitors in the pony pull competition. There were no local entries and all the teams travelled anywhere from two to five hours away. One participant, Sylvan Auger, who resides in Eastern Québec, made the nearly five-hour drive so that he could compete and meet up with old friends.
“The Renfrew Fair is always one that I try to make,” he said.
Once again the midway rides, games and extra food vendors were supplied by Robertson Amusements and several thousand children, and adults, enjoyed the variety of rides. The agricultural section was well-attended and local youth had an opportunity to showcase their animals.
As Ms. Dobec said, the planning will begin very soon for the 168th edition of the Renfrew Fair to be held next September.
