Another Fall Fair installment impresses in Lucknow
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
Last weekend, the Lucknow Fall Fair (LFF) celebrated 163 years with a Barnyard Bash jam-packed with a whole lot of family-friendly action. There were frog-jumping contests, Bingo, BMX stunts, magicians, bumper cars, pet contests, zucchini cars, giant Legos - there was even a camel!
But beneath all the silly spectacle, the LFF is still all about displaying traditional skills and advocating for the value of agriculture. This year’s Homecrafts Competition featured some truly exquisite quilts, excellent depictions of on-theme animals having a barnyard bash, and a particularly stinky soil display from the 4-H Field Crops Club, among other interesting exhibits.
Homecrafts Director Sharon Nivins noted after the judging that the number of entries in the baked goods division was a little lower than last year, but that certainly didn’t damper the enthusiasm of bidders for the pie and tart auction, which raised over $6,000 for the Lucknow Agricultural Society in under 15 minutes.
This year’s Fall Fair Ambassador competition featured two worthy contestants: Tristan Bender, sponsored by the Lucknow Co-op, and Marlee Courtney, sponsored by Hodgins Home Hardware.
Both competitors used their public platform to advocate for agriculture, but it was Courtney’s speech that ultimately earned her the title of Lucknow’s newest Senior Ambassador.
During her time at the microphone, Bender spoke about the true spirit of the community. “If someone asks me to describe Lucknow, I might tell them about the surrounding fields, with rows and rows of crops, or I could tell them about the historic buildings on main street. I could even talk about my neighbourhood,” she told the crowd. “But if somebody asked me on a deeper level, I would tell them about days like today, when everyone comes all together to celebrate where we come from. Agriculture has been a big part of my family’s livelihood and is for so many of our neighbours. We depend on our fields and livestock to provide us with food to survive - not just for ourselves, but to help supply the world.”
When it was Courtney’s turn, she talked about the long history of farming and the fair. “I grew up surrounded by agriculture on our farm,” she announced. “Agriculture is more than just what we do - it’s who we are. It connects generations through shared knowledge and traditions… we are very lucky to work alongside my grandparents and their farm, which has been in our family for generations. Working with my family has helped to shape who I am.”
For almost as long as Courtney’s family has been farming, they’ve been participating in the LFF. “I have carried on the family tradition of exhibiting in the fair. My mom enjoyed entering the Homecrafts Division through school, and baking with my great grandma. It’s always been exciting to see if there was going to be a ribbon on my sunflowers or bales of hay, and seeing if we had the tallest corn,” she recollected.
Courtney also acknowledged all the hard work that goes into an event like the fair. “The hard work and dedication of many people make it possible to put on events like the Super Pull, Music in the Fields, Strawberry Summerfest, and the Lucknow Fall Fair,” she said. “We may not have a large town, but we are known for throwing fantastic parties!”
While both speeches were impressive, in the end, Courtney’s fair-forward speech earned her the title of Lucknow’s 2026-2027 Fall Fair Senior Ambassador. Next year, she will be representing her community at the Ambassador of the Fairs competition at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.