The Pontiac Agricultural Board released an event schedule on July 27 for this year’s Shawville fair, which is set to take place on Labour Day weekend.

Though plans are still being made and adjusted, many of the fair’s normal events will take place. The truck and tractor pull are set to take place on Thursday. The dairy and beef shows are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, with Sunday featuring the 4-H junior show and market sale. On Monday the classic car show will take place in the morning followed by a demolition derby in the afternoon.

The midway rides will run throughout the weekend. There will also be an outdoor bar area and a stage for live music from local artists. The horse shows, however, will not take place this year.

According to Sara Richardson, general manager with the Pontiac Agricultural board, the horse shows will not take place because there would not have been enough time for participants to prepare. They do, however, hope to have some sort of heavy horse demonstration, though the details of this are still in the works.

This short notice has been only one of the many challenges faced by the fair board. According to Richardson, as the province has eased restrictions, the fair board has often had to follow suit and change their plans to accommodate new rules.

“The board has been working extremely hard to work together and pull this off,” said Richardson. “We want to make sure everyone coming through our gates will enjoy themselves while staying safe.”

In a July 27 press release, the board stated that this year’s fair is dedicated to frontline workers for their work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The press release also called Saturday “First Nations Day in honour of reconciliation.” The board is in talks with Kitigan Zibi First Nation to set up the day’s events, but the details have not yet been finalized.

The fair’s attendance will be limited to 15,000 people at a time, which was determined by Santé Publique based on the size of the fair grounds. Masks will be mandatory in all buildings on the fairgrounds except for when stationary and eating or drinking.

Outside, masks are recommended but not mandatory.

Sanitation of rides will be handled by Beauce Carnaval, the company that owns the midway. Richardson said that Beauce Carnaval will disinfect rides after every fifth rotation by cleaning seats, bars and other parts of the ride. Disinfection areas will also be set up throughout the fairgrounds.

Fair-goers are only permitted to go on rides with others from their household and are required to distance themselves from others while waiting in line, ordering food or sitting in public areas. When not waiting in line at the midway, the board asks that fair-goers do not linger in one spot for too long. “Provided you’re not waiting for a ride, they want to keep midway traffic to a minimum,” said Richardson.

Richardson added that despite the long hours and challenges that have gone into organizing the fair, the team is excited to see how it turns out.

“The closer we’re getting to fair weekend and working through the details, the more excited we all are to put on the fair,” said Richardson. “It’s not just the fair board, it’s the community and other organizations that pull it together.”

The fair board expects to release more details in the coming weeks.

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