Cheer on Sooke’s fastest zucchini, admire the scariest scarecrow, enjoy a pet parade or check out the vegetables, baked goods and needlecraft on display at the Sooke Fall Fair, in the Sooke Community Hall, Saturday and Sunday.
It’s the 110th year of the fall fair, a community tradition that continues to evolve, while still embracing the area’s agricultural roots.
Back in 1913, when the fair began, “they didn’t have gluten-free baked goods, no Lego or digital photographs,” said Ida McDonald, vice-president of the Sooke Fall Fair Association, which hosts the event.
Sooke residents can enter their produce and creative efforts in hundreds of categories, from baked goods to needlecraft, photography, stories or artwork, with 50 trophies and 300 other prizes up for grabs.
Farmers young and old will show off their chickens, ducks, rabbits, cows and goats on the grounds outside the hall, with the blue ribbons fluttering on the cages and pens indicating the prize winners.
The fair expects to attract 4,000 visitors this year, on par with pre-pandemic numbers. Attendance numbers were down last year, the first event held after a two-year break due to COVID-19. One of the new attractions this year will be an apple-identification booth set up by the B.C. Fruit Testers Association.
Members of the association, who share an interest in the science and cultivation of fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, vines and plants, will try to identify apples brought to them. They will also share their expertise on fruit growing and plant diversity.
Plants usually get prizes at fall fairs for size, but in the Sookeini Race, the medal goes to the fastest zucchini that can rip down a 30-foot ramp. The winning zucchini’s reward? “It will probably get eaten,” said McDonald.
Other popular family-friendly events include a pet parade, with prizes for the longest tail or ears.
The Sooke Fall Fair is a member of the B.C. Association of Agricultural Fairs and Exhibitions, which has about 35 members around the province.
Admission to the fair continues to be by donation, said McDonald. “That doesn’t happen often these days.”
The fair runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in and around the Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd., Sooke.
For more information, go to sookefallfair.ca/wp.
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