Over 2000 people attended the Drumbo Agricultural Society’s 175th annual Drumbo Fall Fair on Saturday, September 20, and Sunday, September 21, 2025.
The long-awaited event which has been running since 1850, featured a host of fun rural activities fit for the whole family.
The event officially kicked off on Saturday with a host of offerings including the miniature horse and draft horse shows, handcraft demonstrations, the Baby Show and “mom calling” competition, as well as the beef show.
The festivities continued on Sunday with the youth and open horse show, sheep shearing demonstrations, the youth rabbit and poultry show, the pet show and the Kidpreneurs Marketplace.
The marketplace, which is designed to encourage children to start their own business, featured a total of nine youngsters who were there to sell their wares.
Frankie MacDonald, 12, who was selling her handmade beaded bracelets, said it was her first time taking part in the marketplace.
“I was kind of wanting to get out there and start making more money and so I decided to give this a try and be with my friends while doing it,” she said.
When asked what inspired her to start making bracelets, MacDonald said it was a recent hobby.
“A friend bought me a kit to make bracelets a while ago so I had made a couple, and then people were always complimenting them,” she said. “I figured I could spend the summer making more and sell them here.”
Sunday’s event also featured a car show where residents got to show off their vehicles. Among those that stood out were a 1957 Meteor Convertible, a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, a 1979 Lincoln Town Car, a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette and a 1967 Pontiac Beaumont.
In addition to the events scheduled specifically for Saturday and Sunday, both days of the fair offered a full lineup of ongoing activities and live entertainment including:
- Musical performances from Wendy Lynn Snider & Band and Jimmy Gribbon’s John Denver tribute show
- Tom Bishop’s Wild West show
- The Flying Furballs dog agility show
- The Free Bird falconry demonstration
- Jaws of Life demonstrations with the Drumbo Fire Department
- Handcraft demonstrations and exhibits under the agri-art tent
- The Oxford County Library’s craft tent
- Horse drawn wagon rides
- Drumbo Heritage Society train rides, and
- The Little Hobby Hill Farm’s “Old McDonald’s Farm.”
Children also had full access to the Children’s Villages throughout the weekend where they could enjoy different inflatables, the kiddie playground, pony rides, face painting, balloon animals and the bales of straw playground where a candy toss took place at the end of each day.
Susan Norrish, who attended the fair with one of her daughters and her granddaughter, Magnolia Schnurr, 3, said she was excited to be back at the Drumbo Fall Fair.
“This is the first time we’ve been back to the fair in a very long time, probably since Magnolia’s aunt here was just young,” she said. “We were all really looking forward to it and it’s been just a great day, we’re having so much fun.”
When asked what she enjoyed about the fair, Norrish said that it was everything she wanted for her young granddaughter and more.
“It really is a perfect fair for us, there’s so many fun things for the kids to do, and everything’s all inclusive which is really nice too,” she said. “I know there’s no midway, but that’s kind of a perk because I think it would have just been a bit too overstimulating for her; this is just a nice and peaceful atmosphere.”
Susan Elmes, Vce-president of the Agricultural Society, said she and the rest of the fair committee were thrilled to see everyone out and about having fun.
“Great weather makes for a great fair, so we had a big crowd yesterday, and we’ve got another big crowd today,” she said with a smile. “There are just so many happy people coming out and I don’t think I’ve seen even one frown. Everyone’s just having fun, and it’s so nice to see all these young families having a great time.”
Given its 175-year history, Elmes said that, for her, one of the things that makes the Drumbo Fall Fair so special is that organizers, both past and present, have preserved the event’s origins.
“Someone recently asked me, ‘How has the fair changed?’” she said. “And, while there’s certainly been lots of changes over the years, the one thing that remains, is that it’s still based in agriculture and it’s still focused on bringing the community together, none of that has changed in 175 years and so that’s pretty special.”
Elmes said the beloved community event just wouldn’t be possible without the work of its dedicated volunteers.
“The entire event is run solely by around 70 to 100 volunteers, both adults and high school students, and we’re just so thankful for them, truly,” she said. “On Saturday night we celebrated all of them with a lovely dinner and some live music, and that’s just our way to extend our sincerest gratitude to them because we couldn’t do this without them.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
