Canada's oldest annual fair is in Ontario but it's not the CNE

Friday marks the kickoff of this year's Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), thought of as the biggest, best and most legendary festival in all of Canada.

While the annual 18-day event replete with classic midway rides, nostalgic carnival games and more ostentatious snacks than you could ever imagine does boast a long, rich history at a whopping 146 years old, it is not actually the oldest of its kind in the country.

That title belongs to a far lesser-known fair well outside Toronto in historic Williamstown, Ontario.

Just under four hours' drive from the big city, this quaint little town of less than 500 people is the sort of place one might simply pass by on the way to somewhere else.

But, it is home to a handful of sites well worthy of visiting, especially for history buffs — including the eponymous grounds where the Williamstown Fair takes place each August.

Founded all the way back in 1808 and brought to its current location in 1812, the humble jamboree is indeed the oldest yearly Canadian carnival, starting out as a place for local farmers in the area and their families to come together to celebrate the season, share agricultural knowledge, and more.

It continues to this day, proudly honouring its roots by serving as a celebration of the town's rural way of life, albeit with some modern twists.

Alongside midway rides, quintessential fair games, live stage performances, local exhibitors and handheld eats similar to those you would expect at any funfair, there are some things at Williamstown that you certainly won't find at the CNE, and that this fair does especially well.

The event is known for its packed schedule of bucolic, farm-themed events, like horse and cattle shows, sheep shearing, barnyard showcases and tractor pulls.

Programming also includes such painfully wholesome additions as the annual "Raisin River Footrace," tugs-of-war, a children's parade, a scarecrow contest, an antique car show and a free corn roast, plus group dinners in a post-and-beam community meeting place that was built by volunteers.

Participants can even compete in a Cowboy Obstacle Race or the fest's Farmer Olympics to win prizes and have their name engraved on a milk can trophy. And, new this year is a multi-day rodeo, which took place back in July ahead of the main exhibition.

Uniquely, the event has also been in continual operation since its inaugural edition, taking place as a drive-thru version over the pandemic, when even the CNE was shuttered.

As the local Cornall Community Museum wrote in 2020, "for 209 years, neither weather, nor war, nor pandemic has prevented the Williamstown Fair from opening the gates of the fairgrounds to the public for Canada's longest-running agricultural fair."

While you're in the area, you can also check out sights beyond the celebrations, like the St. Raphael's Catholic Church Ruins — the remains of one of Canada's oldest Roman Catholic churches outside of Quebec, and a National Historic Site — and a number of niche museums, many of them free, including the Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum, the Glengarry Celtic Music Hall of Fame and the Sir John Johnson House (also a National Historic Site),

Some of these buildings date back more than 150, 200, and even 240+ years, while their contents honour the county's distinctive past as a key settlement for United Empire Loyalists from the Scottish Highlands.

The fair property itself also boasts a number of charming, preserved old buildings set between lush, well-maintained pines and other local flora.

It's an idyllic natural countryside setting, with the fair serving as the key attraction to give you an excuse to stop by and explore.

Although this year's Williamstown Fair already took place earlier this month, you can add next year's to your calendar. It will take place next August at 19629 John Street in Williamstown, Ontario.