Celebrity status for top farmers at over 90 years of Fall Fairs

THE TIMELESS APPEAL OF A PROPER PICKLE: At the 1977 Fall Fair in the Recreation Complex, a judge makes notes about the pickles

BLAST FROM THE PAST

JOËLLE SÉVIGNY

The Annual Fall Fair celebrates the excellence of locally grown products, and qathet has been celebrating for 90 years! The first Fall Fair goes back to the year 1932, when a small flower, fruit and vegetable show was held inside the Malaspina (Cranberry) School House. It was short notice and hosted at the last minute by enthusiastic Cranberry residents.

1977 Fall Fair: a family visits the squash.

The event was so successful that the next year, the fair widened its scope and included the whole district from Lund to Thunder Bay, as well as Texada and Cortes Island. The result of this venture was the formation of the Powell River and District Horticultural Society (now known as the Powell River Farmers’ Agricultural Institute).

Gaming tables in the 1940s or 1950s.

The Society held its first annual fall exhibition at Dwight Hall on August 26, 1933. The Fall Fairs included a variety of competitions for fruits, vegetables, flowers, canning, eggs, honey, baking, art, and so forth. In its first official year, 365 participants entered in the competitions and two years later by 1935, the number of entries tripled!

Chrysanthemum Show, Women's Auxiliary 1951.

The Fall Fairs had many prizes, including ribbons, trophies and cash for contestants. However, they also had grand prizes for attendees such as car raffles and admissions prizes. In 1953, a prefabricated home was won for first place!

On top of the competitions, all sorts of creative exhibits were set-up by local businesses, displaying a variety of products and services. Some may also remember the annual Miss Powell River pageant, with the winner opening the Fall Fair each year.

Miss Powell River 1957 Louise Beadman with Calgary Mayor Don Mackay at the Willingdon Arena during the Powell River Exhibition.

During the Second World War, the Fall Fair went into hiatus. They resumed in 1953, and moved in 1954 to the Willingdon Beach arena. After the arena closed in the 70s, the fairs then moved to the Recreation Complex. Finally, in 1987, the Fall Fair took place in Paradise Valley at the Exhibition Grounds on McLeod Road. That same year, the society opened the first Farmers’ Market as well. This is where Fall Fairs and the Farmers’ Markets have been held ever since.

Blast from the Past is written monthly by qathet Historical Museum and Archives public engagement coordinator Joëlle Sévigny.

|| jysevigny@powellrivermuseum.ca