Staff
The Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society board already has received a few submissions for its contest about people’s best memories of the fall fair in Emo.
But board member Robin Payeur said they’d still like to see more entries.
Sponsored by the Fort Frances Times, people are being asked to submit a short story or paragraph sharing their favourite memory of the fair.
“There are so many great stories out there,” stressed Payeur, noting each year at the fair she hears “old-timers” telling stories that start out, “I remember when. . . .”
As someone who used to attend the fair as a child, she recalled how “big” of an event it was.
“It was the whole world to you when you were a kid,” she remarked. “And there are a lot of really good memories out there.”
She noted the fair is all about family and reconnecting with old friends.
The theme of this year’s fair is “A Family Tradition—Fun at the Fair,” so the RRVAS board hopes to use the entries as written documentation of some of the memories people have of the annual event, which has been going on for more than 100 years.
Payeur said they will put the entries together in a book that will be on display at the exhibition hall during the fair next month.
To enter the contest, submissions can be mailed to P.O. Box 506, Emo, Ont., P0W 1E0 or via e-mail to robinpayeur@ gmail.com
There will be two categories for the contest—one for those aged 16 and under and the other for 17 and up.
First prize will be $25 for 16-and-under and $75 for the 17-and-up age group.
The deadline for entries is Aug. 3.
“We hope it gets people talking about the fair and remembering all the good times,” Payeur said.
