The parade of teams of horses is always appreciated by the crowd.

The president of the Cookshire Agricultural Fair, Brandon Ward, and members of the organizing committee were all smiles as the latest fair drew to a close at the Cookshire-Eaton fairgrounds. Any fears they might have had about resuming the event after two years of forced shutdown by the pandemic were quickly dispelled. The organizers did not have official figures at the time of the interview, but could confirm they had a record-setting attendance.
As soon as the doors opened on Thursday evening, people arrived in droves for bingo, the 4-H expertise competition and the wrestling gala. This novelty turned out to be a good move on the part of the organizers.
The crowds continued throughout the weekend, whether for the animal judging activities, the parade of young farmers, the teams of draft horses, the country pop dance evening, and more. The main attractions, such as farm tractor and street truck pulls, modified tractors and trucks, drew large crowds. The amateur arm wrestling competition also attracted many fans. The Winslow Dancers tent was amply busy throughout the weekend, while the Mc Auley Centre got its share of the crowds.
The president appeared greatly satisfied. “Friday and Saturday evening it was fuller than we have ever seen,” he said. Excited by the success, the president hopes that the event will keep on growing. “If we continue the rhythm we’ve set, we hope that every year from now we will grow more and more. Neil Burns, a member of the organizing committee, attributed the success to the fact that “everybody was eager to get out. People are looking for an event for the whole family.” Also, the organization introduced an innovation, replacing the rides with inflatable games.
Popular Event
People from far and wide come to take part in the Cookshire Agricultural Fair. According to the president, relatives of participating families from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the United States take their vacations to come and participate in the event. Closer to home, Jean-Jules Gilbert, from Guadeloupe, was on his first visit. He let himself be convinced by his friend from Mégantic, Rosaire Boulet, who has attended the Fair several times already. “I think it’s beautiful and I’m going to stay for the horse pull. I like it, it’s worth it.” For his part, Mr. Gilbert said he was amazed to see the animals. “Animals like that, I had never seen. It’s beautiful.” From even closer, Elisabeth Sanderson of Weedon admits to enjoying the activity. She says she is surprised and happy to see so many people, despite the pandemic which is still present. Her friend Chrystal Flander from Johnville is a regular. “I was just knee-high to a grasshopper when I started. I used to compete when I was little.” The two women with their family members were installed for the weekend on the site with their trailer. They enjoyed their weekend. Among all the activities presented, they admitted to having a weakness for horses.
Homage
The organization took the opportunity to pay tribute, in particular by designating the main stage “Estrade Mac Fraser,” in honor of Malcolm Fraser, who was involved in organizing the Fair for many years. They also presented the title of “Volunteer of the Year” to Barbara “Barb” Ward for her involvement in the renovation of the main building.