Good music, good food, good times at Richmond Fair
The last of the six Eastern Townships fairs is looming on the horizon. But being last is, in this case, the final winner of the fair season - a weekend filled with good times, families and friends, old and new, young and young at heart gather with one thing only in mind - this last of the six will be the best party of all and if the program is any indication, fair goers have every reason to believe that.
With nearly 175 years of history recorded, the Richmond County fair has endured, through good times and bad, some years cold and wet when winter jackets were the proper apparel and other years when skimpy clothing was the norm. But dampening or chilling out the celebrations at this last fair just didn't happen-as the saying goes, 'the beat goes on'.
And speaking of 'beat', there'll be more live music than ever this weekend.
Gates open at 4 p.m. on Thursday, but that's just a practice day for exhibitors and folks getting ready for a weekend to remember. Friday, the mini-farm opens at 9 a.m. and halter classes for horses also begin. This is children's day and everyone gets ready to welcome up to 600 elementary level school kids from local primary grades. They'll spend the morning treated to free juice and music by a group of an entire families singing up a storm called Musique du Monde. Thirty minutes later, the astonishing artwork of a sculptor using various sizes of chainsaws will display his talent on tree trunks and large pieces of wood resulting in almost ethereal likenesses of human forms and animals.
Then the fun gets more serious. Clowns begin to mingle with the young folk on the grounds while judging in the main building gets underway. Another very important activity at this time is taking place in the Youth Fair's section where this committee is still accepting entries at this event for children from five years old to teenage years. "We always expect up to 400 or more entries," said Sarah Fowler, heading up this committee where probably twelve or more volunteers are on hand to organize the display of so many entries. Judging there begins at 1 p.m. Many exhibitors have their artwork and crafts ready thanks to three days of handicrafting offered just before school starts. But some have been given time in the class room to complete their projects as well and entries begin to arrive Thursday. But by Friday, the rush is on to get everything in from the Youth Fair folk.
But all good things must come to an end and buses begin to move toward home by 2 p.m. or so. But these young visitors have had the chance to get acquainted with farm animals, large and small. They will visit the stables and see where milk comes from. They'll admire the meaty flank of a beef animal and enjoy the hands-on experience in the mini-farm section where rabbits are put out in baskets and baby chicks are touchable. In this building as well, there'll be an ever-increasing sound of crowing and 'hen' talk as exhibitors set up their cages of poultry, pigeons and waterfowl as well as rabbits, preparing for the judging hour on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
We mentioned music - well, the Rutherfords, a young group well-known at Richmond Regional for their talent, will be tuning up at 5 p.m. prepared to entertain through supper hour until it's time for the horseshow and also the mini-tractor pulling competition, also at 7 p.m.
Friday night is practice night for partyers just getting into the swing of things and on hand in the big tent Slightly Haggard will help get the festive mood underway, beginning at 9:30 p.m.
In the meantime, the traditional horseshow begins in the arena at 7:30 p.m. It is a sit-down event where quiet music and well-schooled equine competitors go through their paces in a variety of performance and riding styles.
Saturday is ‘THE DAY’ beginning with what organizers call the pony show in the new ring outside at 9 a.m. The arena is busy this day with Holstein, Ayrshire and Jersey judging as well as rabbits and poultry at 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. This is serious business that has kept the exterior wash stand busy since Friday, the buzz of clippers and the scent of 'show shine' still lingering. Every animal will be spiffy clean coming into the arena showring, handlers dressed in 'show whites', halters and leather lead lines clean and buckles shining. For the spectator who doesn't understand why all the fuss, producing milk for a living means developing a line of cows which have high production records, also a solids not fat record which means this is a cow that produces well during her 305day lactation period. But there's so much more. Each breed has breed-standards, meaning a dairy cow in the three breeds must conform to the body shape and form listed for her breed. Exhibitors in this section have studied sire programs, kept track of milk production from choice animals in their herd and are always hoping a red ribbon would tempt producers looking for quality animals to upgrade their own herd. The same applies to the beef cattle who are bred and raised for meat. With consumers watching for less fat on their steak or in their ground beef, here again, choosing a sire that has proven through the testing stations he has a large rib-eye on his ribs, minimal marbling in his meat could be used to sire offspring from a cow with the same attributes. Again, being at the top of the showline shows a breeder-exhibitor's dedication to improving his product - beef - and catches the interest of any producer wishing to upgrade his herd.
This gives visitors plenty to think about but there's relaxation waiting in the wings. After another appearance by the tree sculptor and the clowns
mingling with the crowd, the midway opens at 11 a.m. and Randy Wheeler with Country Heat lightens the mood with music for a line-dance workout from 11 to noon.
In the meantime, sheep appear in their wooly coats out behind the beef barn under the carport at 1 p.m., the sculptor is back at 1:30 p.m. and yes, the 4x4 street pickups begin pulling at 1:30 p.m. also.
But that doesn't mean the music stops. Saturday at 1:30 p.m. popular Richmond native, talented Mike Patrick brings on his country music at 1:30 p.m. and is on stage until at least 3:30 p.m. The clowns pop up again at 2:30 p.m. and the horseshow begins at 4 p.m. Five o’clock brings out the shepherd and shepherdess contest and wonder of wonders, the modified tractor pulls begin 6:30 p.m. Of course, there's more music on this night of nights in the recreation tent - when Bad Boys take over the stage for the evening.
But there's another activity. A wheelbarrow race and silage cart challenge begins at 10 p.m., usually a 'pull-out-all-the-stops' event when exhibitors and visitors join in the fun.
Sunday begins quite sedately with registrations opening for the demolition derby, scheduled for 1 p.m. The 4H clubs have their turn in the spotlight with several classes for different age groups and a variety of animals beginning at 9:30 a.m. It's also church time. An ecumenical service is planned for 9am. The minifarm is in full swing by 9:30 a.m., the sculptor is back at 10 a.m., the midway opens at noon on Sunday and the long awaited demolition derby gets underway at 1 p.m. But, oh yes, there's still music for the afternoon in the recreation tent with Randy Wheeler and line dancing is encouraged once again. The traditional turkey and rooster auction is scheduled once again at 2 p.m. and the final horseshow begins at 2 p.m. as well.
By 6 p.m. according to the program, the fair is over. But most years, folks are reluctant to leave even though trucks and trailers are lined up to load animals for their trip back to peaceful pastures and quiet times. Often the music goes on a little bit longer, a last round at the bar and as autumn approaches and daylight hours shorten, most folks have headed home by dark. But they take with them memories of a friendly fair where good music, good food and good times are the norm. Organizers and volunteers can finally sit down and put their tired feet up, the midway gets out their tools beginning to dismantle rides and concessions as the gates close on another memorable final 'fair' weekend, right here in Richmond County.