Posted : September 9, 2013
Our blog is chock full of great ideas for fun things to see and do in York Durham and Headwaters. We are always adding new content and updating old posts, but sometimes you might stumble upon something from our vault. If this article has inspired you to hit the road, be sure to double-check that the featured stops in this post are still welcoming visitors.
It has been a real pleasure guest blogging for Central Counties this year as I have been discovering so many new places and participating in so many new experiences. I realize now just how vast Central Counties is. One minute you are in the urban centre of Vaughan, then driving down country roads and farmland and then up in cottage country! There is so much to do and see here and each event I visit I get to experience something new! At the Port Perry fall fair there were familiar fair scenes but it provided its own thrilling events to stand out on its own.
I dragged a friend with me to Port Perry’s Fall Fair. We thought it would be a riot for two city girls to wear cowboy hats at a small town fair! The fair grounds were packed with cars parked along the major street, in the strip malls across the street and in the designated parking lot. This was no small fair. As we walked through the gates we saw that a cattle competition was going on and decided to take a look. Farmers walked their cattle along the ring and brought them into the center to be judged. Then the top three were announced.
We made our way through the series of vendors and food trucks into the Exhibit building, where the fair’s contest entries for best baking, craft, vegetables and even woodworking were all on display. Their were entries from children, adults and seniors and medals awarded to each class.
Outside the exhibit building was an entertainment shelter. Musicians played tunes as a crowd took shelter from the sun to enjoy the shows. We enjoyed the fiddle playing of the Hogtown Boys bluegrass band and stomping Outback Cloggers for our little break from the sun.
The big event that afternoon was the harness racing. We sat in the grandstand and had an amazing view as these jockeys sat in little buggies behind their galloping horses. They looked so unsteady it almost took my breathe away. The announcer called the horses to the gate which was attached to an old car and the horses galloped behind. Then the car pulled away and the gates closed around the car and they were off. Many were betting on the races below, but we just liked picking favourites based on their funny names! It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
But this full day was not over yet. We had to stay for the demolition derby! I had never seen one of these live and I have to say, I still don’t understand how these drivers (men and women) get up one day and think I’m gonna take a car from the dump and get her running, paint her and then take her into a rectangular ring and smash her up agains all the other cars. There were several heats of cars entering the ring which was surrounded by concrete blocks to keep them in. Firefighters were on hand in case of an emergency, but thankfully just sat and watched the show from the sidelines. The cars smashed into one another until they could no longer drive and the last moving car was crowned the victor. In between rounds big cranes came to pull away the wreckage. I have to admit I was cheering and hollering along with the crowd it was great fun to watch.
We had an amazing time at the Port Perry Fair. There was so much to see and do throughout the day we probably could have spent the entire weekend enjoying all the shows! There are still a lot of fairs this fall in Central Counties and I can’t wait for the next one!
Sharon M is a travel blogger and writer at DreamTravelMagazine.com an online travel blog based in Thornhill, Ontario.
