While some fairs are big on presenting new and wacky food choices for visitors, the folks at the Oro World’s Fair prefer an old favourite — steamed corn.
Drawing steam off a 1919 Waterloo Traction steam engine, Neil Copeman and his daughter, Christina, will watch a crowd form around the primitive power plant, waiting patiently for one of life’s tastiest treats.
“People love steamed corn,” says Neil, as his daughter stokes the belly of the beast with wood. “It’s always one of the most popular attractions.”
And the easiest to find. Its sharp steam whistle pierces the rural cacophony that is the fall fair, drowning out the chickens, cows and sheep that have been herded to the fair by proud owners looking for the ever-elusive red ribbon, which is the ultimate stamp of approval.
“The history of the fair was built on agricultural exhibits and competition,” Ed Campbell, president of the Oro World’s Fair, says during an interview just outside the judging arena that housed the fowl entries.
“The whole idea of a fair is you have local produce growers and farmers competing to see who has the best — whether it’s vegetables, grains, poultry or cattle," he adds. “That lives on today.”
Celebrating its 170th year, the fair kicked off Friday afternoon with its official opening and school parade under cloudless skies and temperatures in the mid-20s — a stroke of good fortune on the unluckiest of days, which would be Friday the 13th.
“It’s traditionally unlucky, but we’re pretty lucky to get a day like this,” says Campbell.
Organizers are expecting record attendance this year, partly due to Saturday’s forecast, which should be a repeat of Friday.
“We expect to have between 13,000 and 15,000 over the weekend," he says.
Visitors will pack the fairgrounds Friday afternoon for the truck and tractor pull, while Saturday afternoon will the demolition derby. These are the fair’s two biggest draws.
“We’ve been having them for more than 30 years, so now we’re at the point where we have two generations that have been experiencing them and they come back year after year to watch,” Campbell says. “They’ve become our main draw.
“People will come from other counties and other cities for those events,” he added.
The fair opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday and the day’s lineup will include a Mutt Show for Oro-Medonte school children, a Hunter Jumper horse show, mini-pedal tractor pull, dairy cattle judging, doubles horseshoe tournament, beef cattle judging, slow tractor race and the demolition derby at 3 p.m., the last event of the fair.
The Oro-Medonte Fairgrounds are located at the intersection of Sideroad 15/16 and Line 7 North, about halfway between Barrie and Orillia.
For more information about the Oro World's Fair, click here.
