Beeton did not become Beeton until 1875.
Before then, it was the village of Clarksville, located in West Gwillimbury, where David A. Jones became the first commercial beekeeper in Canada. It was his enterprise that gave Bee-town (now Beeton) its name.
And this weekend, the 162nd Beeton Fall Fair will celebrate its sweet history, D.A. Jones and beekeeping, with the theme, How Sweet It Is!
The Beeton Fair predates the renaming of the village. Once called the Tecumseth-Cardwell Exhibition, it was first held in Keenansville, a vibrant up-and-coming community in the days of horse-drawn wagons and stagecoach travel.
“For many years the fair rotated from one village to the other hamlet, from one year to the next” – held in communities that included Athlone, Keenansville, Loretto, Tottenham, Beeton and Thompsonville, according to local historian Bert Platt and the Beeton Agricultural Society.
But when the railroad came through in the 1880s, all that changed. Beeton and Tottenham, on the rail line, flourished while the other hamlets dwindled. In the rivalry for the fair, Beeton prevailed – providing a permanent fairground on vacant lands behind the still-existing United Church.
The property housed a race track for harness racing, drive sheds and animal sheds to house the animals exhibited at the fair – but the land was too swampy, and, in 1898, the Tecumseth Agricultural Society bought the current fairgrounds from E.A. Calhoun for the grand sum of $500.
The land also served as the village commons: cattle, sheep and other livestock were allowed to graze on the property until one week before the annual fair and could return once the fair was over.
This year marks the 162nd annual event, which remains true to its agricultural roots. There are livestock shows, 4-H Club achievement days, and, in the arena, homecraft displays and competitions that celebrate skills ranging from quilting and sewing, to home preserving and baking.
The Beeton Fall Fair takes place this weekend from Sept. 14 to 16 at the fairgrounds at 72 Second St. in Beeton. On Friday, the midway opens at 4 p.m., the beer garden at 6 p.m., and opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. – where the guest speaker will be Dickey Bee Honey.
Saturday kicks off with the Beeton Fair Parade, which assembles at 9:30 a.m. at the Main Street Plaza and parades down Main Street at 10:30 a.m. The Exhibit Hall and food booths open at 10 a.m., midway at 10:30 a.m., with Junior Dairy Show starting at 11:30 a.m., 4-H shows, baby show, entertainment on stage, Woofjocks dog show, Stylamanders, and much more.
Sunday features the Classic Car Truck & Motorcycle Show, starting at noon, and demolition derby at 1 p.m.
It’s a fall celebration that brings together residents of New Tecumseth, Adjala-Tosorontio, and Bradford West Gwillimbury for a weekend of agriculture, heritage, history, and fun. For more, visit beetonfair.com.
