The Ferris wheel seemed to be one ride that appealed to people of all ages. Tinkess Photo

SOUTH MOUNTAIN – Anyone who has been involved in the organization of an outdoor activity knows well that there are many things that are out of their control, and in recent years the weather has been near the top of the list.

In some ways, that is a good thing, because there are more than enough things you can control, each of which could impact the level of satisfaction to be obtained. At local fairs like the one which occurred in South Mountain last weekend there are many moving parts, but fortunately there also exists an army of volunteers who do what they can to ensure the event offers good food, good entertainment, and creates good memories for everyone who passes through the gates.

One attraction that exists year after year is the wide variety of entertainment offerings the fair provides. Teresa Palmer is the President of the Mountain Township Agricultural Society, the organization which hosts the fair. This year the fair fan from Thurs., Aug. 13 until Sun., Aug. 16, and every single day there was something that would appeal to just about anyone.

“We have a truck show today,” said Palmer. “We have a rodeo today.

We have Tyler Joe Miller coming to the entertainment tent tonight, which is great. Our Lila Fawcett building is packed full of homecraft exhibits.

“Our poultry barn is packed,” she continued. “Today is the dairy event over in the cattle barn, so there’s lots of cows here. We also have horse exhibits today. There’s also the Junior Pony Show for leading and line classes. And yeah, that’s about the gist of it.”

And the thing is, she just scratched the surface. There is, if course the midway, face painting, balloon twisters, the baby show, Meet the Keepers, a magic show and much, much more. Needless to say, there is plenty to fill a day with, and there are four of them!

A lot of people don’t realize how much work goes into organizing something like the South Mountain Fair, and the next year’s fair is already, to some extent, in the planning stages already. Organizers always ask what went well, what didn’t and what they could do better. Right now, however, things are going about as well as could be expected.  “It is going as well as we can hope,” said Palmer.  “We’re very thankful for Winchester, Foodland, and Iroquois Foodland, who have donated all the food for the volunteers throughout the weekend. We have it all set up here in the Ag hall. Other than that, it’s going well. We have quite a few food vendors this year.

We’re excited for our entertainment that comes tonight, and we have a good turnout for the truck show. It’s our second year for the truck show.”

And speaking of things you can’t control, the weather is holding out, which just adds to the enjoyment. “A couple days before the fair, we got a huge rainstorm,” said Palmer, “And literally the whole grounds was a puddle. It’s even a good turnout for the campers.”

The secret it seems if you don’t want to wait in line for the various rides is to arrive early. Saturday morning under clear blue skies there were few lines and those that did exist were moving quickly. There was a good selection of midway rides as well; something for those wanted something exciting, and others for those who weren’t quite ready for the world to turn upside down. The Ferris wheel seemed to attract all ages.

Palmer was correct about the homecraft displays in the Lila Fawcett building: there were a lot of entries in each category. Floral display is one category that seems to be growing in popularity.

Whether you live in the city or the country, the agricultural aspect of a county fair is a huge attraction, particularly when there are animals involved. The poultry tent saw a steady stream of visitors and there was a good crowd on hand for the Dundas 4H Junior Achievement Day. Ericka Mathers came away with Grand Champion Honours, while Hailey Smygwaty earned Reserve Honours and Emily Smygwaty was Honourable Mention.

You hear everywhere about the rising cost of everything, but at the South Mountain Fair, the amount of entertainment you received, and the memories you could create provided good value, wherever your interests were directed.