Bringing back old traditions

71st Port Morien Fair takes place on Saturday

The Port Morien Fair is back and includes the old, the revived and the new.

“I’m really excited about the fair this year and the community is excited,” said chairperson Katherine MacDonald.

“The fair is such a longstanding tradition. We’re also happy to inject some new things to freshen it up and to bring back some old things that people have missed.”

A new committee was formed after the former committee stepped down last year.

“We still have some former committee members and volunteers who have been helping for years on the board to help with everything from traffic control to the parade lineup,” she said.

The 71st edition of the Port Morien Fair takes place on Saturday.

“The exhibits are something we wanted to keep because it’s a big part of the tradition,” she said.

Exhibits in all the categories will be accepted at the legion Friday from 4-7:30 p.m. The exhibits will open for public viewing Saturday at 11 a.m.

MacDonald said one activity that has been revived is the children’s parade that will be held at 11 a.m. at St. John’s United Church parking lot.

“Kids certainly don’t have to be from the village to participate,” she said. “It’s a fun event where the kids can show off their costumes and themed floats. Some are on bikes or in wagons or strollers.”

A ham and salad dinner will be held from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Paul’s hall. The fair grounds will open at 1 p.m.

The event will include music, a flea market, raffle and a bake sale.

“The Happy Day’s food truck will on site and an outdoor market (are) both new things added to the fair this year.”

The market will include about 10 vendors.

“There will be everything from spices to jewelry to apple butter to someone selling blueberries,” she said.

The legion’s café will be turned into a dessert stand with fudge and cheesecake.

The parade will line up at the Morien ballfield at 1:30 p.m. and begin at 2 p.m.

However the fair won’t end with the parade.

The fair dance is also being revived and will be held at the

legion beginning at 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Anyone wishing to register a float can contact MacDonald at 902-317-4133 and the committee is looking for people to help with setting up and tearing down the fair.

Margie MacQueen has been involved in the fair since she was a young girl and was chair for 50 years.

“In all the years we only had to cancel some of the stuff one year because of the weather.”

MacQueen said she and the long-standing committee members didn’t want to give up their involvement in the fair but “I felt it was time and the other members felt the same way. I think we did our part.”

MacQueen will still be part of the fair this year as she is making fudge for the raffle and is baking for the bake table.

She hasn’t decided if she will enter any exhibits.

“If I take it out of the oven and it looks pretty good then I might consider putting it in,” she said.

Exhibit booklets are available at the Port Morien post office or contact Leah Helfmann at 902-554-3037.