SHEGUIANDAH—It’s time to get your rural craft on! After a two-year hiatus, the Sheguiandah Fall Fair ‘Autumn Harvest 2023’ is taking place September 16 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Centennial Museum of Sheguiandah, accompanied by delicious barbecue starting at 11 am.
“We are really happy to be back,” said organizer Norma Hughson. “It has been a long time coming.”
Ms. Hughson explained that registration of exhibit entries starts with a drop-off on Thursday, September 14 between 4 and 8 pm and continues into Friday, from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Judges are lined up to start sampling and assessing entries on Friday evening after the entry deadline.
The fall fair is sponsored jointly by the Manitoulin Genealogy Club and the Centennial Museum Advisory Committee.
Entry tags and registration forms were available at the museum from September 1 on, but the drop off for entries is as above. Pickup of entries takes place after 4 pm on Saturday. All exhibits must be the work of the exhibitor, explained Ms. Hughson. Although the fall fair is “unofficial,” the fair follows the rules and regulations as set down by the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies and has been running for several years prior to the pandemic shutdown.
The exhibitor with the most entries will win the grand prize of a year’s membership to the museum. Adults are only allowed one entry per card class and displays must be on a white plate (exceptions being made for squash and pumpkins). Vegetables and roots are to be cleaned or polished—but not washed—before showing. Roots, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash and zucchini are to be shown with stem attached. Onions should not be peeled and garlic bulbs should have one inch of root. All fruit must also have some stem, while smaller veggies must be on the aforementioned white plate and uncovered.
Photographs must be the work of the exhibitor and titled or named. Photos should be 10 cm by 15 cm (4” x 6”) and mounted on white bristleboard with a 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm border (.5” to 1”).
There are 10 one-time-only ‘adult specials’ that include pecan pie, dozen shortbread cookies, dozen peanut butter cookies, fudge, peach pie, raspberry pie, raisin pie, another dozen shortbread cookies, raisin bread and raisin pie (since there are two entries for shortbread cookies and raisin pies, you need to make one for each section you want to enter). A prize of $10 is awaiting the winner of each category and the winner must agree to forfeit their entry to the cash prize donors: Gail Robinson, Wilfred Holmes, Ken Ferguson, Linda Erskine, Marcel Gauthier, Mike Erskine and Norma Hughson.
Cash contributions to the School Youth Section were provided by Mike Erskine, Ken Ferguson, Marilyn Irish, Bev Morphet, Eunice Beaudin, (the late) George and Terri Hari, Marjorie and Preston Collie, Lynn Hughson, Lyn and Mike Valiquette, Doug Hore, the Little Current Lions Club and the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands.
The youth prizes (other than the adult specials) are the only ones to receive cash prizes, but bragging rights are definitely up for grabs. Youth can pick up their cash prizes after 4 pm on Saturday from the paymaster (identification may be required). Prizes are $3 for first, $2 for second and $1 for third.
