Some of the Navan Fair directors took a moment to hitch a ride on one of the first floats in the Navan Fair Parade. Tinkess Photo

NAVAN – Over the years, the Navan Fair has had its share of weather complications. This year, however, it was blessed with (very) warm temperatures and hazy skies, but unfortunately, not a drop of precipitation, which meant drinking a lot of water, finding shady spots whenever you could and enjoying every little breeze that happened to blow through.

The theme of the fair this year was “Muddy Boots and Country Roots” and while you would have had to look long and hard to find any mud, the Country Roots were apparent throughout the four-day event.

Take Thurs., Aug. 7, the opening day for example. At 9:00 a.m. there was the heavy horse show and at 3:30 p.m. there was the Ayrshire, Holstein, and Jersey cattle show.

In between you had the midway accessibility time slot at 2:00 p.m. with the gates opening to the public at 3:00 with special discounted rides on the midway and the beverage garden. This was followed in the evening with the Demolition Derby and entertainment under the Domes by The Derringers with DW James.

It was a full day, and a lot to choose from, not the least of which was the Agricultural Education Barn where kids and adults both could learn a bit about the lifestyle and the people who help get fresh, healthy food to your table.

It really wouldn’t be a county fair without all sorts of craft and homecraft competitions and judging by the enormous number of entries in the exhibition hall, competitive interest was at a very high level.

The fun continued Friday with lots of agricultural and entertainment selections as well as special shows, like the Meet the Keepers Wild Presentation and performances by the Ultimutts. The day wrapped up with the Demo X, Mid and Full-Size Demolition Derby classes and musical entertainment by Chris Labelle, followed by Danny Sylvestre, the Honky Tonk Heros Tour.

Saturday offered a full slate of activities, but there was one thing special about Saturday, and that was the Navan Fair Parade.

The parade was a little bit late getting started, but finally the access roads were blocked and the parade got under way with the RCMP band leading the way.

One unique characteristic of the Navan Fair parade it that a running audio commentary  is provided as each float passes by, as well as acknowledgement of sponsors.

It was a hot day to be marching, dancing, or biking, and a couple participants had to drop out at least temporarily due to the heat but once moved to a shady spot and provided with water, they quickly recovered.

The crowd that had gathered along both sides of the parade route showed their appreciation as the various dance groups, marching bands, local sponsors, horses, and tractors rolled by. The parade had a definite rural flavour, and the crowds loved it.

As the parade wrapped up, most of the people turned to head to the main entrance and into the fair itself for a day that included performances by the Capital Cowgirls Drill Team, line dancing, and a mix of agriculture and entertainment that existed through each day of the fair. (Vintage Iron and Traditions are always a good place to spend some time, and a great chance to see what equipment built to last actually looks like.) The day finished off with the music of Darkspeed, followed by Kim Mitchell.

Sun., Aug. 10 was the final day of the fair, and it included an Ecumenical Church Service at St. Mary’s Anglican Church on Trim Road. It was a day that included parts of the first three days of the fair, but added the Baby Show, Tractor Pull, Western horse show, and music throughout the day (Slo Tom and the Handsome Devils at 1:00 p.m.,  Hey Neighbour/Mon Voisin at 2:30 p.m., and The Country Lads at 4:00 p.m.

Creating an event of this size and scope doesn’t happen by magic, it takes a large group of dedicated volunteers, and in Navan with its combination of rural and urban life, it produces something that is just a bit different than you might find elsewhere, but that adds to the appeal. You can’t survive for 78 years without an engaged audience, and the Navan Fair certainly seems to have that.