Erin • Wellington County • Wellington County
The Erin Fall Fair is one of Ontario’s premier agricultural fairs, celebrating livestock exhibitions, homecraft competitions, horse shows, agricultural education, midway attractions, and family-friendly entertainment. Hosted by the Erin Agricultural Society, the fair has been a Thanksgiving tradition since 1850 and is widely recognized as “Ontario’s Preview to the Royal Winter Fair.”
Visitor Information
📍 Location: Erin Fairgrounds, 184 Main Street, Erin, Ontario
🎪 Event Type: Agricultural Fair
👨👩👧👦 Best For: Families, livestock enthusiasts, horse lovers, agricultural exhibits, midway rides, and community entertainment
🗓 2026 Dates: October 9–12, 2026
🌐 Official Website: Erin Agricultural Society / Erin Fall Fair
Plan Your Visit
⏱ Time Needed: Plan a full day or spend the Thanksgiving weekend enjoying livestock competitions, exhibits, entertainment, and family activities.
🎡 Fair Highlights: Midway rides, heavy horse competitions, livestock shows, tractor pull, demolition derby, parade, homecraft exhibits, agricultural displays, live entertainment, and commercial exhibits.
🐄 Agricultural Experiences: Dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, horses, poultry, rabbits, horticulture, field crops, baking, photography, quilting, flowers, and educational agricultural exhibits.
🎠 Family Activities: Children’s entertainment, midway rides, petting animals, food vendors, exhibits, demonstrations, games, and live performances throughout the weekend.
📅 Annual Timing: Thanksgiving Weekend (Early October)
Celebrating Agriculture in Wellington County
The Erin Fall Fair has been bringing together farmers, families, exhibitors, and visitors for more than 175 years. Organized by the Erin Agricultural Society, the fair continues its mission of promoting agriculture, education, and country life while preserving the rural traditions that have shaped Wellington County.
Known as Ontario’s Preview to the Royal, the Erin Fall Fair has earned a reputation for outstanding livestock competitions, particularly its horse and cattle shows, attracting exhibitors from across the province. Visitors can also enjoy homecraft displays, agricultural exhibits, midway attractions, entertainment, and a wide variety of competitions celebrating rural life.
Held each Thanksgiving weekend, the fair continues to celebrate the harvest season while showcasing the volunteer spirit, agricultural excellence, and strong sense of community that have made the Erin Fall Fair one of Ontario’s signature agricultural events.
Did You Know?
The Erin Agricultural Society was established in 1850, and the Erin Fall Fair has grown into one of Ontario’s best-known agricultural exhibitions. It is proudly recognized as “Ontario’s Preview to the Royal Winter Fair,” reflecting the exceptional quality of its livestock competitions and agricultural programming.
About the Fair
A Wellington County Tradition Celebrating Agriculture, Heritage & Community Spirit Since 1850
The Erin Fall Fair, proudly presented by the Erin Agricultural Society, has been one of Ontario’s most enduring rural celebrations since 1850. For more than 170 years, the fair has brought together families, farmers, neighbours, and visitors to honour agricultural excellence, creative homecrafts, and the vibrant community spirit that defines Erin and the surrounding Wellington County countryside.
A Fair Rooted in Early Settlement & Rural Ingenuity
The first Erin Fall Fair was held when the village was still a developing farming community, shaped by mills, tradespeople, and the surrounding fields and concession roads. Agricultural societies were central to rural life at the time, offering farmers a place to share knowledge, improve livestock quality, and strengthen community bonds.
Early Erin fairs featured livestock judging, grain and produce competitions, preserves, sewing, quilting, and demonstrations of essential homesteading skills. These long-standing traditions remain at the heart of the fair today.
Agriculture at the Heart of the Erin Fall Fair
Agriculture continues to guide the fair’s purpose and programming, represented through a wide array of exhibits:
- Dairy and beef cattle
- Sheep, goats, poultry & small livestock
- Field crops, grain, hay, vegetables, and garden produce
- Woodworking, rural crafts, and traditional homesteading skills
These displays celebrate the skill, dedication, and resilience of the farm families who have shaped Erin’s rural identity for generations.
The fair’s robust homecraft divisions, including preserves, baking, handicrafts, quilting, knitting, floriculture, photography, arts, and junior categories, demonstrate the creativity and domestic traditions that have always enriched rural community life.
Youth Involvement & Generational Strength
For decades, young people have played a central role in the Erin Fall Fair. Through 4-H clubs, schoolwork displays, junior competitions, and agricultural learning opportunities, youth gain:
- Leadership skills
- Practical agricultural and homecraft knowledge
- Confidence and creativity
- Teamwork and responsibility
- A meaningful connection to their community’s heritage
Generational participation is one of the fair’s defining strengths, families often exhibit side-by-side across three or four generations.
Sustained by Volunteers & Community Commitment
The Erin Agricultural Society, supported by enthusiastic volunteers, works year-round to preserve the fair’s traditions. Their efforts, maintaining grounds, organizing exhibits, supporting participants, and celebrating rural heritage, reflect the strong, supportive community spirit that has characterized the fair since its beginnings.
A Celebration of Wellington County’s Rural Values
The Erin Fall Fair proudly upholds the region’s most enduring values:
- Agricultural achievement
- Creative homecraft excellence
- Youth engagement
- Volunteer leadership
- Generational continuity
- Community unity
A Tradition That Endures
More than a century and a half after its founding, the Erin Fall Fair remains a cherished celebration, honouring the agricultural roots, creativity, and community strength that continue to enrich Erin and rural Wellington County.
