Students from Sydenham Community and Bayview Public Schools in Owen Sound are already becoming acquainted in anticipation of the merging of the two school communities in September 2017. As part of the 163rd Annual Sydenham Fall Fair on Thursday, September 22nd, organizers, staff and students from Sydenham invited their future school peers from Bayview to come to Grey Roots Museum & Archives for a taste of what this historic tradition is all about.
Arguably the oldest and last Canadian school-based fall event of its kind still in operation, the Sydenham Fall Fair is alive and well with no plans of ending any time soon.
"We have a fantastic group of volunteers, sponsors, staff and students who work extremely hard each year to ensure that this tradition continues to inspire a new generation of young learners. With the joining of the two school communities next September, we are all very excited and committed to maintaining and building upon the success of the Sydenham Fall Fair," says Sydenham Community School Principal Karen Spragg.
"Inviting Bayview students to attend this year's Sydenham Fall Fair not only provided an excellent educational opportunity to learn about a unique local tradition, but also illustrated a thoughtful gesture in school community building for the future by our friends at Sydenham," says Bayview Public School Principal Lauren Lipsett.
As in the past, this year's event connected students with their rural roots through hands-on activities and
displays that showcased and celebrated the importance of local agriculture and how our food progresses from farm to table. Students contributed a wide assortment of creations for exhibition and judging at the Moreston Heritage Village barn, such as home grown vegetable and garden displays, baking, construction and crafts, creative writing and even livestock. The latter included miniature ponies, calves, lamb, goats and pigs. A separate pet show featuring dogs, cats, rabbits and hamsters, was also held. A new addition to this year's itinerary was the Fall Fair Amazing Race for students in Grades 6 to 8.
At the end of the day, many Bayview students were left with a positive first impression and sense of excitement to get involved next year. Their attendance was made possible thanks to the support of the Bayview School Community Council who covered bus transportation costs.
In addition to Thursday's event, the viewing of exhibits at Grey Roots and other fall fair classroom activities at Sydenham spanned most of the week.
Learn more about this year's fair by visiting the Sydenham Fall Fair website, or Facebook page .
