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Column: Agassiz’s Fall Fairs: Past and Present

A look back at Agassiz’s long-standing local fair
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Children push a buggy and carry a sign that reads “Bring the Family to the Fair” during the 1961 Agassiz Fall Fair parade. (Agassiz-Harrison Historical Society)

Are you ready for the 114th Annual Agassiz Fall Fair and the 70th Annual Agassiz Corn Festival on September 14 and 15, 2018? This will be my first fair and I can’t wait! I am excited to see the floats and costumes this year. Over the summer I have been working on the Agassiz-Harrison Historical Society’s Virtual Museum of Canada online exhibit, Knee High by the First of July, which tells the story of our community’s relationship between corn and cows. This exhibit will launch in early 2019 – don’t worry, I’ll let you know when it goes live!

Over the course of my research, I have reviewed some wonderful images of past fairs and festivals. We have a rich archive of photographs, prize books, programs, and newspaper articles – but we are always looking to expand our collection! If you have items from or documentation of past Fall Fairs and Corn Festivals, please consider donating them to the Agassiz-Harrison Museum.

Sunshine and smiles were abundant for the year of the Sunflower, the 2017 fall fair theme. (Greg Laychak/Black Press)

Did you know that the Agassiz Agricultural and Horticultural Association was originally founded as the Kent Agricultural and Horticultural Association on November 16, 1899? Since 1901, the association has organized the annual Agassiz Fall Fair to showcase the best local agriculture, horticulture, orchard, and livestock efforts. In 1949, the Agassiz Fall Fair expanded to include a Corn Festival. The Agassiz Harrison Board of Trade developed the Corn Festival as a means of marketing the prime local industry. Initially, sweet corn was the focus, but it was replaced by field corn as the dairy industry expanded in the District of Kent. In 1952, the Agassiz Fall Fair and Corn Festival were combined into a single event.

The Corn Festival crowns Corn Royalty each year. For 58 consecutive years, a Corn King from the community was selected. The first Corn Queen, Michelle Stuyt, was crowned in 2007. The honour of the title of Corn King/Queen is awarded to a local farmer who produces the best quality and greatest quantity of corn per acre. The Corn King/Queen competition is open to anyone in the community who has a minimum of two acres of field corn. Judging is based on field cleanliness, corn uniformity, corn maturity and efficient nitrogen use. Who will win in 2018?

Each year, an average of 10,000 people attend the Agassiz Fall Fair and Corn Festival. The Agassiz-Harrison Museum will be open from 10 am until 4 pm on September 15 to welcome in our families and friends. Please stop by to check out our two new exhibits: The History of the Agassiz CPR Station and Remembering the Fraser River Flood of 1948. See you soon!