For some people, the Campbellford Fair is about the midway, the food and a weekend out with family.
For others, it’s a chance to showcase their animals, learn something new or reconnect with people from across the agricultural community.
And for Campbellford Fair Ambassador Avery Kearse, it’s an opportunity to represent the community she has spent years volunteering in.
Kearse is serving as the Campbellford Fair Ambassador for 2026-27. Her responsibilities include handing out awards, speaking with visitors and taking part in activities throughout the fair.
The role is something she says grew naturally out of her involvement in the community.
The ambassador role will take Kearse beyond Campbellford as well. She plans to attend the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies convention and will compete at the CNE next summer for the opportunity to become the ambassador representing fairs across Ontario.
While Kearse is looking toward the future, the fair is giving younger members of the community a chance to discover agriculture for themselves.
Gracelynn is participating in the Kids Pre-4-H class, which gives children an opportunity to take a calf into the show ring before committing to the formal 4-H program.
Gracelynn has already shown her Jersey once before and says she enjoys being around the animals.
Her mother, Rebecca Carberry, explains that the class is designed to be an introduction to showing cattle without the pressure of an official competition.
Children simply get the opportunity to put a calf on a halter and walk around the ring. There are no placings, making it a chance for kids to have fun and experience something their older siblings or family members may already be involved in.
For Gracelynn, the experience is already sparking thoughts about her future. When asked if she could see herself working on a farm when she’s older, her answer was simple: yes.
The agricultural component of the fair is just as important for the adults taking part.
Carberry says the cattle shows attract people from outside the area and provide a chance for members of the farming community to see each other’s animals and reconnect.
She says the shows offer a chance to see quality dairy cattle from different farms and see what other producers have been working with.
Kearse says that same sense of community extends beyond the agricultural exhibits.
She believes the fair gives young people a place to meet others, learn and have fun at the same time.
The weekend brings together generations of Campbellford residents and visitors, from children taking their first steps into agriculture to longtime members of the farming community returning year after year.
For Kearse, that’s ultimately what makes the fair special.
And with agriculture at the centre of the weekend, Kearse says the fair is a reminder to keep learning about and supporting the industry that remains such an important part of the local community.
And with agriculture at the centre of the weekend, Kearse says the fair is a reminder to keep learning about and supporting the industry that remains such an important part of the local community.
