Circle September 18 and 19 on your 2021 calendar — that’s the weekend the Cowichan Exhibition is having its 153rd Fair!  It’s a little later than usual; in the past the show has been held on the Friday/Saturday/Sunday immediately after Labour Day.  This year it falls on the following weekend.  Families with school-age children will cheer because it means they won’t have to juggle back-to-class schedules with bringing in entries for the fair.  The Exhibition’s staff and volunteers are also cautiously optimistic that the new dates will allow them to open the grounds* to more of our favourite events, such as the carnival, live entertainment, vendors and food trucks.

In keeping with the more upbeat outlook for 2021, the Cowichan Exhibition chose “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” for its theme,  inspired by the resilience of the main characters in The Wizard of Oz.  Exhibitors of all ages creating entries for the fair will find several challenge classes listed in its Official Catalogue, all with a connection to Dorothy, her little dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion or to the colour duo of emerald green and sapphire blue.  In addition to friendly competitions for gardeners, photographers, bakers, artists and crafts people in Mellor Hall, there will be colourful quilts, spinning & weaving, and 4-H fibre arts in the barn.  Not all displays on the weekend will be static!  Closer to September, go online to the Exhibition’s website, www.cowex.ca, for an update on sheep dog demonstrations, a mini horse show and an American Saddlebred presentation.  Find out more too about what’s happening onstage.