Metcalfe Fair marks 169th season, putting a cap on fall fairs in Ottawa

The sun is shining for the annual Metcalfe Fair, which signals the end of fair season in eastern Ontario. CTV’s Natalie Van Rooy reports.

The fall fair season is wrapping up this weekend in Ottawa with the 169th annual Metcalfe Fair.

The Sloggett family attends the fair every year.

“We come here every year because we love Carleton Mushroom Day,” said Tobi Sloggett, who was at the fair with her two sons and husband. “We like to get the soup and the grilled mushrooms and then we like to see all the exhibits.”

“We’re just looking at all the nice food trucks and all the exhibits and the animals that they have here,” said Finn Sloggett, Tobi’s son.

The 169th annual community custom marks the end of the fair season in Ottawa, and it comes on a weekend that feels more like summer.

“It’s phenomenal. It’s hot, the crowds are overwhelming, and everybody’s here,” said Metcalfe Fair President Cheryl Cooper. “We got a dance tonight, events going on, step dancing, square dancing this evening, and horses.”

A major component of the Metcalfe Fair is the championship shows.

“The fair is an opportunity for everybody to get together once a year and compete over who has the best cattle and the best vegetables and the best jams and jellies,” said volunteer Jane Cooper. “And it’s a chance for everybody to meet up in the community.”

The Metcalfe Fair ends Sunday with a full slate of events.

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