History Of The Fair
- Halton Agricultural Society formed in March 1853 with Thomas Douglas as the first President
- Fall Fairs had been held in the 4 townships of Esquesing, Nassagaweya, Trafalgar and Nelson, but there was a feeling a County Fair was needed to provide an opportunity to compete at a larger scale
- The first County fair held in October 1854 on Martin Street behind what is now the Millside Restaurant – the Society boasted 100 members
- Heavy horses and ponies were shown on Main Street, Light horses and road classes were shown on the First Line (known today as Bronte St.) and exhibits of butter, eggs, baked goods, fruits, etc. were housed in an old wooden work shop across from the fair site
- In 1856, fair moved to land adjacent to the present Milton Town Hall
- In 1864, moved to an 8 acre parcel of land at 136 Robert Street, where it is still h eld today – in 1864, the fair committee reported receipts of $427 and prize money of $225
- In 1864, the first building was opened at the new location
- In 1947, the ladies formed the Homecraft Division with Mae Crawford serving as the first President
- In 1959, the current Grandstand was built, with a capacity of 750 For several years, Horse racing dominated the entertainment lineup – today the main attractions include the demolition derbies, truck & tractor pulls, lawn mower racing as well as several horse shows
- In 1991, fire gutted the fair office 3 days before that year’s fair, destroying valuable memorabilia, as well as all the ribbons and entries for that year’s fair
- In 2003, the 150th Milton Fall Fair was celebrated with special events such as a baby show, a Decorated Bale contest, and a Commemorative Fair Poster, along with their regular events
- Today, the Milton Fair is a 3-day event and continues to be staged on the weekend of the 4th Saturday in September