Cookshire Fair preps for 180th edition after sunny 2024 success

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

After a strong 2024 edition marked by sunny skies and solid attendance, the Cookshire Fair is gearing up for its 180th anniversary this summer, running from Aug. 14 to 17.

“We had a good extra,” said Brandon Ward, president of the Compton County Agricultural Society, in an interview. “But next year, we don’t have a clue what could happen.”

Ward confirmed that the 2024 fair ended with a roughly 10 per cent operating surplus—between $20,000 and $30,000. Attendance was in the range of 4,000 to 5,000 over the four-day event.

“It sounds like a lot, but in a way, it’s not,” Ward said. “There’s always repairs to be done.” Any surplus, he added, goes back into improving the experience for exhibitors and fairgoers.

The Society held its annual general meeting in February, where Ward and several other executive members were re-elected. Three new directors also joined the board. “We try to make things better for the people that come to the fair,” said Ward. “That’s why we do the fair—for them, not for ourselves.”

This year’s midway is already confirmed, but Ward said other programming is still being finalized. “There will be some pretty significant changes that will be interesting for visitors,” he said. Updates will be posted on the fair’s Facebook page as bookings are confirmed.

The Cookshire Fair continues to reflect the region’s bilingual makeup. “I would like to say it’s 50-50,” Ward said of the board’s cultural composition. “Everybody can speak English or French.”

While the Society posted a surplus in 2024, Ward noted that the fair remains vulnerable to weather and rising costs. “The weather makes it,” he said. “Some years we could lose money. It all depends.”