The 171st Lakefield Fair is fast approaching and is set to be held over the weekend of July 25 and 26, 2026. However, the fair board debated heavily on if there was to even be a fair this year or call it quits on the nearly two century long tradition.
The Lakefield fair board president Cynthia Keech said that the last several years have been very hard financially for the organization.
Keech said that they have been struggling financially to keep the fair afloat over the last several years, let alone to complete the maintenance required for many of the buildings and equipment at the fairgrounds.
She said that their main concerns are financial support and volunteers. They have a small board of directors that plans the fair weekend and organizes the events with a handful of dedicated volunteers that help get everything ready the weekend before and execute things the weekend of.
However, lately no matter how much effort is put in, it does not seem to be enough for the longevity of the fair.
Keech said that they do the best they can with the small amount of funds they have, but they are not able to make everyone happy.
The fair board gets a grant through the provincial government as well as a small grant from the township of Selwyn but most of the money they receive is through admission sales to the fair each year as well as local business sponsorship.
While admission is their main source of income, as attendance continues to fall year after year, they will not have the means to keep operating should this trend continue.
At the heart of the Lakefield Fair is agricultural awareness. The fair started and has continued to be about celebrating agriculture in the area. The farm shows will continue this year with the cattle, sheep and goat shows as well as the home craft competition.
While the heart of the fair will stay the same with the agricultural aspect and the midway continuing, Keech said that this year, they will not be having the truck and tractor pulls. She explained that the volunteers who used to run the pulls, decided not to participate this year in the Lakefield Fair due to a disagreement with police enforcement.
Instead, the Lakefield Fair will be welcoming back the Demolition Derby.
Keech said that she wants the community to know the Lakefield Fair is a really fun weekend and the board wants everyone to enjoy it, take part, and learn about local agriculture.
If they do not raise over $40,000 this year, which is the cost to put on the fair, the board may be forced to make the decision to cancel the Lakefield Fair next year.
For more information on the fair, visit their website at lakefieldfair.com.
