Has anyone been to a Spring fair? I know that they do exist, but there aren't any in my area. We do however have a lot of harvest type summer fairs. What I really would like to know is what kind of booths, judging, sales, etc. goes on at one. What were your experiences? Were they any fun? Thanks for your time. annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002

Answers

There is an old restoration homestead nearby that has many fairs or festivals a year. April 26-28 is the next one and will feature herbs and other plants for sale. Many fairs are centered around sheep shearing and garden planting. I'm sure they will be preparing with horse drawn equipment.

-- Emil in TN (eprisco@usit.net), April 09, 2002.

The Museum of Agriculture in Ottawa, Canada has a sheep shearing festival on the weekend closest to 24 May.

Although the theme is centred around the sheep industry, the rest of the farm is open and includes cattle, swine, some poultry and some exotic breeds.

There are booths from spinners, weavers, knitters, and crafters, a hands on tent where children and adults can learn to card and dye wool, barbecues set up to feed the hungry and tempt those who do not usually eat lamb to try differnt ways of preparing it.

As this is a permanent site, the friends of the farm could set up a perennial garden to teach about growing asparagus, rhubarb and other spring harvest crops, as well as the things you can seed in the fall or start in the garden before the last frost free date.

Commercial exhibitors could set up greenhouses, cold frames, row covers, seed starting kits.

You could set up craft displays same as a fall fair, showing the quilt or other project you worked on over the winter

-- Deborah Hardy (virgil@igs.net), April 10, 2002.