One of Ontario’s oldest agricultural fairs opens Thursday for the 200th time.
The Quinte Exhibition, commonly known as the Belleville Fair, is celebrating its bicentennial year at
its longtime location, the fairgrounds in west end Belleville.
A new exhibition grounds along Black Diamond Road is still under construction.
The Quinte Exhibition runs from Thursday through Sunday.
Belleville Agricultural Society President Jamie Chatten says the fair is the second oldest in Ontario.
This year’s opening ceremony on Friday evening will be a special one.
“We have MPP Todd Smith joining us and Lisa Thompson, the minister of Agriculture, and our Mayor Neil Ellis and to help us celebrate the 200 years, we have all our past living presidents are coming.”
Chatten says it takes a lot planning and a lot of volunteers to make the event happen.
He adds they’ve been fortunate that the Ex is able to continue as many smaller fairs have folded over the last couple of years due to COVID.
Along with the midway, farming exhibits and livestock competitions, there will be an antique car show, a truck and tractor pull and demolition derby.
Chatten says they don’t have any real expectations of attendance knowing that inflation has made times tough for people but they’ve tried to make it affordable for families.
“At the end of the day it’s not all about dollars and cents. If we can cover our costs, that’s great and put on a good fair for the residents and the Quinte area, that’s, that’s great.”
General admission on Thursday and Sunday is $5 and $10 on Friday and Saturday.
Find the fair’s schedule of events and other information on the Belleville Agricultural Society’s exhibition website by clicking just above the notice about the demolition derby.
There’s a discount on advance midway passes purchased by August 30 at the Belleville Chamber of Commerce Log Cabin (5 Moira St. East) and the Belleville Agricultural Society Office (240 Bridge St.) or online here.
