The Drayton Fair is coming back to the county this weekend despite some staffing challenges the event has faced.

The fair, showcasing tractor pulls, derbies, and ag spotlight stations among other things, is heading into its 165th year, taking two years off for COVID-19 and one for World War I. The fair is organized by the Drayton/Mapleton Ag Society.

Society Treasurer Arlie Zantinge said that the value of fairs like this one are immense, and that attendees might not know what they had until events like these disappear eventually due to staffing shortages and financial hardships.

"Come out, enjoy. Support your town! Fairs are closing, and you might not miss it until we're gone suddenly," Zantinge said.

"Mount Forest has lost its fair, and there are other ones on the cusp of closing financially. It's hard to maintain one of these events," she added.

Zantinge encourages all to come out and see the value of the fair, running on Elm Street Friday through Sunday, adding that they've aimed to make the fair more kid-friendly by including a magician, extra bouncy castles and a face painting station this year. There will also be a couple ag spotlight booths, but Zantinge says they will be few and far between due to the struggle to field staff.

She says she believes young fair-goers will learn a lot about the fundamentals of farming.

"Maybe it would be nice to get out there and actually learn. Don't assume that your milk comes from the store only: there's a step before that," Zantinge explained.

"People that are concerned about the health of the animals; these animals are spoiled rotten, they are brushed, they are shampooed, they are vacuumed," she concluded.

Zantinge says this event often times provides motivation for those in attendance to check out larger fairs. There will also be livestock exhibits present on the weekend.

The fair runs Aug. 11-13. For more information, head to draytonfair.ca.

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