Organizers are expecting record-setting attendance when the 154th edition of the Saanich Fair gets underway this weekend. Upwards of 55,000 people are expected to converge on the fairground in Saanichton for the oldest and largest agricultural event of its kind on Vancouver Island.
“We’re expecting a very large crowd this year, definitely more than normal,” said fair committee chair Jenna Saunders of the North & South Saanich Agricultural Society. She said the fair typically attracts 45,000 to 50,000 people.
“But because our property is so large, there’s quite a bit of space. We’re hoping to fill it this year.”
The 43-acre site can safely hold up to 60,000 people, Saunders said.
Save for a small online component, the family-friendly event was effectively cancelled in 2020, due to the pandemic. The fair operated at reduced capacity in 2021, capped at 75 per cent of the normal audience.
Its first full day of operation in two years gets underway at 9 a.m. Saturday, with a midway and juried craft and agriculture displays.
The midway is open Friday at 3 p.m., but other areas of the site will remain closed until opening day.
The weather is expected to be mild for the duration of the fair, but organizers have misting tents in the event of extreme heat, which has been a problem in previous years.
The entertainment schedule features everything from music — Born Reckless headlines the main stage Saturday, while Wide Mouth Mason tops the bill Sunday — to Highland dance competitions. Pie and ice cream eating contests are also scheduled for the main stage.
The number of animals entered into competition is down slightly, which is likely a factor of tough economic times, Saunders said, but donkeys, cows, horses, sheep, llamas, and goats will all be on display this weekend.
“You definitely see the excitement in people’s eyes when they come across the animals.”
Getting through the front gate will be easier than ever. The fair accepted credit and debit payments for the first time last year, and now you can buy tickets online in advance, reducing lineups at the gate.
“That’s a huge development for us,” Saunders said.
“That way, you can spend more of your time inside rather than waiting in line.”
