Several thousand residents and out-of-town visitors attended the Drumbo Agricultural Society’s 176th annual Drumbo Fall Fair on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, 2026.
The fall event, which has been running since 1850, featured a host of fun rural activities fit for the whole family.
“Our theme is ‘Simply Country, Simply Fun,’ and I think that truly describes what we’re doing here very well. No, we don’t have a big midway with wild rides, demolition derbies or concerts, but what we do have, and what we do well, is provide entertainment for young families,” said Susan Elmes, President of the local agricultural society. “When you walk into the ground, we’re decorated to the nines, there are old tractors and the music’s playing, and the whole thing is just a thrill for the senses. It’s really an exciting place to be with the pumpkins, the mums, the straw bales and the corn stalks; it just screams fall in the country.”
The event officially kicked off on Saturday with a line up of offerings including the miniature 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 16 youngsters who were there selling their wares.
“This Kidpreneurs Marketplace went extremely well this year. There were lots of different and creative things being sold like pottery, pet toys, earrings and other jewellery, and even little keychains,” said Elmes, with a smile. “It’s fun because the kids get to tell you all about what they’ve made and it’s just a wonderful opportunity for them to learn about being an entrepreneur, while also making some money for themselves.”
Sunday’s event also featured a car show where residents got to show off their different classic vehicles. Among those that stood out were a 1958 Dodge Coronet, 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442, 1939 Ford Midget, 1972 Dodge Charger Rallye and 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:
- Simon Says show
- The Flying Furballs dog agility show
- Reptilia show
- Jaws of Life demonstrations with the Drumbo Fire Department
- Handcraft demonstrations and exhibits under the agri-art tent
- The Oxford County Library’s creation station
- Horse drawn wagon rides
- Drumbo Heritage Society train rides
- Silent auction
- The Little Hobby Hill Farm’s “Old McDonald’s Farm,” and
- Musical performances from Wendy Lynn Snider and Band, and Jimmy Gribbon’s John Denver tribute show
Youngsters also had full access to the Children’s Village throughout the weekend where they could enjoy different inflatables, the kiddie playground, pony rides, and the bales of straw playground where a candy toss took place at the end of each day.
New to this year’s event were additions specifically designed to entertain the older youth, including an axe throwing inflatable and a rock climbing wall.
“Those have both been very, very busy. I actually had one mom even stop me to thank us for those additions. She said that last year, her children were starting to feel like there wasn’t a whole lot to entertain them but were thrilled to see something new,” said Elmes. “It’s great because the plan was to add more things for the tweens in hopes they would stick around and then come back as volunteers once they’re in high school, and it sounds like that’s going to work out well for us.”
Princeton resident Cheryl Smith said she’s been attending the fair with her family ever since they moved to the area in 2019, and that they enjoy coming out year after year.
“I like that it’s one of the more traditional fairs,” she said. “We’re animal people so we love all the barnyard animals and the horse shows, those are always some of the first things we try to see when we get here. It’s just a good little fair, and sure there’s no rides, but I don’t think we need them because it’s fun enough. I also appreciate that everything is included in that $13 admission price too. You don’t have to worry about spending any extra money.”
While the beloved fall tradition may now be over, Elmes said she and the rest of the fair committee were thrilled with the turnout.
“It’s always wonderful to see everyone here and it’s just nice to catch up with the people you haven’t seen for a year, it’s sort of like a big reunion. The turnout has been great, and when you look around all you see are lots of young families with a whole lot of happy, smiling faces,” she said. “The other good thing is we’ve had another great year for volunteers. They just keep coming back, so that’s one thing we’ve done very well and we’re quite pleased with how everything’s turned out.”
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.
