178 years strong: Aylmer Fair keeps it fresh

The annual event keeps the mainstays, while adding a new beef cattle show, more midway rides, and mini-buses in the demolition derby.

Stories, archival photos, local businesses, activities, memories and much more can be found in the 12-page Aylmer Fair feature, inside the Aug. 12 edition of the Express.

The 178^th Aylmer Fair will kick off this Friday, Aug. 14, and proceed practically non-stop until late Sunday afternoon, Aug. 16, with attractions and excitement for all, Aylmer and East Elgin Agricultural Society (Aylmer Fair Board) President Randy Laur promises.

This year’s fair is a weekend later than usual, due to issues getting carnival workers here for the normal second weekend in August, and the Midway was a huge part of the event, Randy said. “It’s not a fair without a Midway.”

That puts it head-to-head with the annual Tillsonburg Fair the same weekend, but he’s not too worried about that, given all that Aylmer’s has to offer.

Starting off, he said, Campbell Amusements, which provides Midway rides, games and food booths, was thrilled with last year’s fair, which attracted close to 10,000 area residents and visitors.

The company had commented about how the Aylmer Fair was resurging, drawing bigger numbers in recent years.

He expected that, like last year, people would be lined up for all the games and rides noting, one or two additional rides were expected.

Following recent trends, and with more to do, he hopes that attendance would reach 10,000, weather permitting.

In addition, he said, the fair board would be sponsoring free pony rides for youngsters.

And, of course, the really big draw at the Fair each year was the demolition derby, starting Friday night and with afternoon and evening competitions Saturday.

“We’re hoping for the ‘banger’ double-cross, we should have 90 to 100 cars this year,” he predicted for Friday night, given 90 entries had come in last year.

The ones still in operable condition would probably run Saturday afternoon and evening, he expected.

And Saturday night’s derby would see from nine to 12 “mini-buses” in their own event, he expected, after eight participated last year.

Such bus derbies were becoming increasingly popular, he said.

“We’ve got a ton of locals” entering the entire derby this year, he said, while others would come from as far away as Simcoe and Woodstock, among other communities.

The draw for the Aylmer event was probably within about 160 kilometres, he said.

The company that oversaw the derby last year would be doing Tillsonburg’s this year, so Edge Motorsports, from two years ago, would return to Aylmer.

The derby, he noted, was rough and tough, but strict safety requirements meant no one’s ever been hurt participating in Aylmer’s.

This year’s event would feature bigger payouts for prizes in all categories, which he hoped would draw even more entries to cover that additional cost.

The demo derby itself wasn’t a big moneymaker for the fair, but that was made up for by all the fans who paid admission to see it, Randy said.

The long-range weather forecast, he added, looked beautiful, with warm but not excessively hot temperatures. “That’s going to make it sweet.”

And, for the youngest drivers, a “Powerwheel” demolition derby would start on Saturday at 7 p.m.

That features electric-powered carts driven by children, who sought to burst balloons on competitors’ carts to win.

That was another popular attraction, he noted.

Other children’s activities throughout the fair should be bigger than even, including the free pony rides, a reptiles show and “a bouncy castle.”

The “Kids Zone” would be moved to the west end of the old curling club on the fairgrounds, which should provide it with plenty of room for its activities.

When it came to what to eat, up to 14 food trucks should provide plenty of selection, from the usual hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and pizza to pulled pork, smoked brisket and fried chicken.

He’d sampled the last at the Canada Day weekend truck and tractor pull at the fairgrounds, “And it’s good. Man, was it good.”

Lemonade would also be on offer and adult beverages in a beer tent at the west end of the demolition derby truck Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

The tent, run by the fair board, was a great place to watch the demolition and other track-centred events, he noted.

The ever-popular Laur’s Taffy trailer would also be back this year, Randy added, and he described it as a perennial fan favourite.

The cattle barn, in addition to 4-H dairy and Elgin Holstein Club shows Saturday, would see a new event on Sunday, the Elgin County 4-H Beef Cattle Club competition.

Another Sunday newcomer to the fair would be a display of antique lawn tractors and related equipment, supplementing the 4-H show and a “Fire Muster,” a series of games involving local firefighters.

Randy added that the success of any fair was based on the work of its volunteers, with many helping hands committed to the three-day event this year.

Prices for admission remain unchanged from last year, except for a $1 transaction surcharge on debit and credit card payments to get in at a gate.

An ATM would also be available on site, he said, noting that many attractions, such as the food trucks, would only accept cash payments.

Friday, the fair opens at 11 a.m., with children under 12 admitted free until 6 p.m., and closes at 12 midnight.

Saturday, the hours will be 11 a.m. to 12 midnight, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Daily admission for an adult is $10 a day and $7 for children 4 through 12 years old. Weekend passes cost $25 per adult and $15 for children.