Drumbo Agricultural Society is getting ready to welcome visitors to the 176th annual Drumbo Fair, happening Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026.
Susan Elmes, President of the local agricultural society, said that while the event may not be a large spectacle like other nearby fairs, the priority remains on providing young families with a memorable experience that doesn’t break the bank and focuses on rural fun.
“The theme of our fair is ‘Simply country, simply fun,’ and it certainly lives up to that name. We’re so different from other fairs because we’re very small and we don’t have a midway, but what we do have is old-fashioned family fun,” she said. “We do very well with that, and creating an environment for young families is kind of our niche. Our fair truly brings the community together, and it’s an easy way to get to know your neighbours, or to see people you haven’t seen since last year.”
Admission to the fair is just $13 cash per person, or free for children two and under, and includes access to all fair activities including pony and horse drawn wagon rides.
On Saturday, families can expect to enjoy several attractions including the Old McDonald’s Farm by the Little Hobby Farm, the miniature and draft horse shows, a beef show and Baby Show.
The activities continue on Sunday with more attractions including the youth and open horse show, the youth rabbit and poultry show, a sheep shearing demonstration, a classic car display, pet show, silent auction and the Kidpreneurs market.
Of course, there will also be plenty of activities taking place throughout both days, including the Simon Says show, handcraft demonstrations and agricultural exhibits, the “Flying Furballs” dog agility show, Jaws of Life demonstrations and a reptile experience. Live music will also be featured, with performances from Wendy Lynn Snider and Band, as well as the John Denver tribute show with Jimmy Gribbon.
Youngsters will have full access to the Children’s Villages where they can enjoy the Oxford Library fun tent, the kiddie playground, face painting, balloon animals and the bales of straw playground, where a candy toss takes place at the end of each day.
“We always close the day with the candy toss on the straw bales. It’s such a small town country thing, but you see all the kids and they’re so happy with their bags ready to collect all the candy,” she said. “It’s such a simple thing but if you ask kids that are well into high school and beyond now, ‘what’s the highlight of the fair that you remember as a kid?’ So many say the candy toss. It’s just a wonderful way to close off each day.”
New to this year’s event are additions specifically designed to entertain the older youth.
“This year we’ve added a few things for tweens; we have a rock climbing wall, a family-friendly axe throwing inflatable, and basketball nets for them to entertain themselves,” said Elmes. “Our goal is to really keep that age group coming out, and then once they get into high school, we make really good use of student volunteers looking to get their hours for school. So this is just kind of the bridge that keeps them coming those few more years.”
When asked what her personal favourite part of the event is, Elmes said it’s just seeing everyone enjoy themselves.
“When I see those smiling faces, that tells me that while putting this on is a labour of love, all of our efforts are worth it and have really paid off,” she said. “Hearing so many wonderful comments from people saying it’s a nice little fair, means so much to me and the rest of the team. It really warms our hearts and we’re just so excited to welcome everyone back.”
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.
