59 Years of Fair History 1950 - 2008

NORTH THOMPSON FALL FAIR & RODEO CELEBRATES 59 YEARS

THEN AND NOW - LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME!!

THEN: Back in 1950, what had been a dream for local farm and ranch families became a reality. The Native Sons of Canada lent their Louis Creek grounds and hall for the first fall fair which was held on Labour Day. The fall fair catalogue of 12 pages
promised: "To make your Labour Day a real holiday, a full round of entertainment
during the day and evening is assured. A softball tournament, track and field events
and horseshoe pitching contests will be held during the day. Games and concessions
will be operating on the grounds. In the evening a dance will be held in the hall." The catalogue included 11 sections for competition, with a large section devoted to
'Women's Work' including such as 'Embroidery on flour sacking for household use'.

The first Fair was attended by an estimated crowd of 500.



NOW: In 2008, the dream lives on. Len Johnson's words of fifty years ago are as true today: "For a fair to be a success, it must first be centered in a farming district, and secondly, it must have the support of the people of the community."Fueled by outstanding volunteerism since its inception the North Thompson Fall Fair
(NTFF) and Rodeo has steadily evolved and expanded. Some of the faces remain the same,
many familiar family names remain, but new faces are always welcomed. The location,
exhibits, games, attractions and queen pageant have all changed over the past 59 years,
but the focus of the fair still is: "A celebration of agriculture, livestock, western
country living and community spirit". In 1996, the NTFF was named Fair of the Year in
its category by the BC Association of Agricultural Fairs and Exhibitions.

Today, the NTFF and Rodeo begins the week before, with the crowning of the Fall Fair
queen. The fair spans all three days of the Labour Day weekend and has been held on
its own East Barriere Lake Road grounds since 1970. The site has grown considerably
to its present size of 26 acres.

The fair offers far more events and types of competition than the founding members
could have imagined. Visitors can come early for a pancake breakfast, take in a day's
worth of livestock and equestrian shows, enjoy exciting rodeo action, pony chariot
races, and chuck wagon race action. The theme is family-oriented throughout the fair
and hundreds of items on display inside the exhibit hall. Adults can stay late and dance
Saturday and Sunday night in the NTFF Hall.

Our catalogue has increased in size offering many different sections for the exhibitor.
Gone is the section heading 'Women's Work', as are competitions for garden clubs, and
Junior Farmers Clubs. Items like 'best tinted egg' and 'best ornamental butter': have
been eliminated, but many new classes have been added. Today, far greater emphasis is placed on the importance of educational content in all aspects of the fair.


The North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo is now attended by an estimated crowd of 9,000 or more.

Over half a century after a small energetic group of volunteers put together the first ever
North Thompson Fall Fair, the small town spirit remains the same, as dozens of
enthusiastic volunteers work together year round to host the valley's single biggest
event each Labour Day Weekend.

The dream lives on because a group of volunteers work hard together each year to keep it so.