Saturday August 29, 2020 ~ SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke, Editor ~ Island Social Trends
A mainstay of the fall events calendar for many in Sooke is the annual Sooke Fall Fair, held at the Sooke Community Hall for two days each year on a September weekend once back-to-school is underway.
The annual social event highlights and keeps alive the agricultural and home-support arts and sciences that are — ironically — such a highlight of the pandemic year 2020.
During the COVID-19 pandemic this year — which has kept people close to home — people have been learning to bake bread, make canned preserves, grow their own veggie gardens, and do many of the things that are celebrated at the Sooke Fall Fair each year.
Postponing the 2020 fair:
To ensure the safety and health of their volunteers and the visiting public, the Sooke Fall Fair organizers decided to postpone their traditional two-day Sooke Fall Fair in 2020. The next Sooke Fall Fair will be held on the weekend of September 11 and 12, 2021.
Advertisers and prize sponsors have been assured that all monies collected are being held in reserve to be used for the 2021 fair.
Each year, ads are run in a printed catalog that is widely distributed around town all summer preceding the fall event. That’s a major fundraiser for the non-profit organization, now headed up by Neil Poirier as its president, following in the footsteps of Ellen Lewers who was president for many years.
Perfect Pumpkin Patch:
The 2020 theme of “The Perfect Pumpkin Patch” and the entry classes planned for this year are being carried forward to the 2021 Fair.
Online events for one day in 2020:
Meanwhile, still in 2020, a one-day online Sooke Fall Fair on September 12 will feature several fun events in the spirit of the Sooke Fall Fair. Click on the links below for details.
- Scarecrow Contests: There will be two contests: one for the general public, one for merchants.
- A Virtual Pet Parade: What would our fair be without a pet parade?
- A short story contest
- A colouring contest sponsored by Buy BC / BC Fairs
===== History:
Long-time leader and participant in the Sooke Fall Fair, the late Martha Moore, was well known for her bread-baking skills. She was honoured at a celebration of life in the Sooke Community Hall in May 2019, attended by Premier John Horgan.