166th Listowel Agricultural Fair scheduled for July 14-17

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“We are looking forward to returning to what the Listowel Fair used to look like, but also with some new additions and some changes,” commented LAS President Elizabeth Johnston. “We know it won’t look exactly the same; we will still be working with Huron Perth Public Health to make sure that we’re following all the regulations that are in place. At the very least, we hope that most of our events will be able to make their return, especially the outdoor ones. Maybe we’ll be able to have all of our events return to the fair this year.”

Attractions like tractor pulls, livestock shows, the demolition derby and coordinating a midway require extensive advance planning, with the added wrinkle of abiding by public health regulations that have now become standard in the pandemic era to ensure the safety of those who plan on attending in person.

“We want people to feel comfortable coming back to the Listowel Fair,” said Johnston. “It’s been three years since we’ve been able to welcome people to the fairgrounds.”

The last two Listowel fairs have looked markedly different, with the LAS required to come up with some outsidethe-box virtual aspects to ensure that the event continued on in some capacity. The everpopular home craft exhibition continued on virtually, while the addition of a communitywide scavenger hunt over a two-week period in 2021 was a well-received event that will return in 2022, among others.

“COVID has changed the way we look at a few things,” affirmed Johnston. “Some of our home craft competitions will still be held in a virtual format; people can compete whether they want to in-person or virtual, we have both of those options that are going to happen this year for some of our competitions.”

When asked about the strength of the LAS in terms of finances and general morale of its board, Johnston said that the organization has held up well over the last two years despite not being able to host a full-scale fair in 2020 and 2021. Loss of revenue from events such as buck and doe receptions hosted at the Listowel Agricultural Hall also understandably hurt the organization’s finances.

Johnston added that virtual components would remain a part of the 2022 fair as a whole; for example those dedicated home craft exhibitors not yet comfortable with returning for in-person showings will still be able to submit entries via online means. With the progression of digital technology, competitions such as the photography category make more sense to take place entirely virtually.

The LAS expects to release the advance prize list for the home craft competition this spring.

The Listowel Fair is the Ag. Society’s primary fundraiser, and with its cancellation the last two years a number of drivethrough dinner events and additional revenue from other initiatives helped to supplement income. Provincial government funding through OMAFRA grants also assisted the organization.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge to keep everybody excited in what we’re doing,” said Johnston. “But our fair board I’ve found has been very resilient throughout COVID, and they are want to make sure that the desire and the passion keeps

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