The Brigden Fair is a long running Thanksgiving tradition in the area surrounding Sarnia, in southwestern Ontario. First established in 1850, the Brigden fair has expanded over the years from just the showing of animals to a full country fair.

Admission to the fair is $10 for adults, and school age children are free, meaning the average family can get in for just $20. Parking is provided on the fairgrounds, with wagons providing transport from the parking area to the main fairgrounds.

Petting a chick

The fair itself draws 10s of thousands of people every year, even with inclement weather. The fair consists of numerous barns where livestock are shown and compete. Poultry, horses, cattle, sheep and more are all on display and generally accessible to the fair goers. Other barns housing more "kid friendly" animals such chicks and rabbits are also present, giving children a chance to interact with some of the animals more than just in passing.

There is also a sizeable amount of farm machinery on display. Tractors, combines, ploughs and more are arranged for fairgoers to check out. Tractor pulls of numerous classes also get run, in addition to the more traditional horse competitions.

A couple of commercial exhibition halls are also present, bringing everything from agriculture related businneses to fresh fudge and insurance exhibits to the fairgrounds. The vendors are generally pretty friendly, and while they're definitely present to peddle their wares, they do tend to be a little more relaxed and content to just dole out information as opposed to trying to close a sale then and there.

Giant pumpkin

Aside from the livestock, there's a considerable amount of other agriculture on display. Other exhibits include fruits and vegetables, crafts, photography, even wood and metalworking.

Also on the fairground are numerous other activities, which can considerably add to the cost of your day beyond admission, depending on what you intend to partake in. Helicopter rides are available to provide an aerial view of the fairgrounds in a short ride, prices are $40 to $60 per person depending on age. Those that prefer to stay a little closer to the ground can take a ride in a Monster Truck, a wagon or a miniature train.

Exhibit halls and midway

The fairgrounds contain a sizeable midway, with numerous carnival rides and games avaialble. All the midway tickets are an additional purchase beyond your general admission, but they are priced similarly to most other midways, with $20 giving enough tickets to partake in a couple of rides and games. If the children are too young for most of the rides or games, there are numerous other kid friendly activities throughout the fair weekend on any given year, such as meet-and-greet with popular characters from kids shows, face painting, clowns, magicians and balloon sculptors.

Other notable activities that take place during the fair include a lumberjack competition and a demolition derby. For more about the Brigden Fair and it's history, please visit their website.