In 1868, the fair began as a way for a small group of the pioneer farming families to have an annual gathering dedicated to celebrating their farms, gardens and homes. Today, the North and South Saanich Agricultural Society organizes the fair with the mission to promote agriculture in the future.
“They started out hosting the fair on one of the fields owned by those 10 men. They used to move it around from year to year, from one field to the next, and its popularity just kept growing,” said Knight.
The fair is now the largest of its kind on Vancouver Island and on par with the Interior Provincial Exhibition on the Mainland and encompasses 43 acres of land on a permanent fair site that is the envy of other municipalities.
The fair employs five full-time staff and the 11-member board of directors now oversees the activities of more than 2,000 volunteers.
And, although the 10 men who started the fair are long gone, in many cases the farming families who were there at the beginning are still actively farming the area.
“This year we have Vern Michell and his grandsons opening the fair in recognition that Thomas Michell was one of those original 10 men, without whom the fair might never have gotten started,” said Knight. For the full story see: https://www.vicnews.com/community/after-150-years-saanich-fair-going-strong
Please expect traffic delays along routes towards the Saanich Fairgrounds in Central Saanich on September 1, 2 and 3. Thank you for your patience.
We thank the more than 3,000 volunteers who are helping put on this year's fair and wish good luck to the many exhibitors!
To buy tickets, see the schedule and learn more, please see: https://www.saanichfair.ca/