COVID-19 has done what world wars and depression could not: take away Ontario's fall fairs

Rick Chaykowskihas giants in his backyard, but nowhere to show them off.

He's spent roughlyfive months raisingthe monsters in a squareof dirt behind his Brantford home and they're almost fully matured. But their mottled orange shells and massive girth will go mostly un-ogled this year because of COVID-19.

For28 years,Chaykowskihas been growing giant pumpkins and carefully carting them to area fairs for a weigh-off.

The Rockton World's Fair, in rural Hamilton,has been his main destination, however it, like festivals and exhibitions across the country, has been cancelled this year by the pandemic.

While a year without fall fairs might not seemall that significant among the casualties of the COVID-19,they provide an important connection between rural and urban residents, are part of a deep and long standingtradition for many families and communities and help fosterfriendly competition including when it comes togargantuan pumpkins.

Thisyear,Chaykowski'sgot a pumpkin in his patch that will likely top 227 kilograms(a weight he jokingly referred to as a defeat) but nowhere to take it.

It's a shame, he said, explaining the annual gatherings bringtogether pumpkin enthusiasts and other "old guys like me" in a way that's something special.

"We all know each other and it's probably the only time of year where we get together. It's almost like it's a family now."

'My gosh, they're really dedicated'

A big part of that family isFred Cooper. He's a longtime volunteer at the RocktonWorld's Fair and has coordinated the annual pumpkin weigh-off for at least 15 years.

The 78-year-old humbly undersells his role in the oversized competition asensuring the big orange brutes don't have anything oozing out and arefree of mud and hefty stalks that could tip the scale in their favour.

He's seen pumpkins that top 544 kilogramsand were so biga grown man could climb inside so long as he didn't mind getting some guts and seeds on him.

No fair this year means he'll be able to join hisfamily for aholiday for the first time in decades.

"This will be the first Thanksgiving that I'll actually be home," he realized with a laugh.

"It's going to be different. It's going to be strange for sure," Cooper added, noting a year without sales will be especially tough on vendors.

After all the seasonshe's helped out a the fair, Cooper said he's come to understand just how important it is for people.

It's a ritual that goes beyond sippingapple cider, crunching caramel corn or watching teens show livestock. For many it represents the fall season, memories of first dates ortime with friends and family.

The 78-year-old has seen lines of cars nearly six kilometres long waiting to enter the fairgrounds.

"They come from miles around," he said. "When you hear how far some of them have come ...I just think 'My gosh, they're really dedicated to come to the fair.'"

That dedication has helped fairs, rodeosand exhibitions across Canada survive despite wars and illness, but COVID-19 has presented a different challenge.

The Canadian National Exhibitionannounced in May it would not open in 2020, marking the first time since the Second World Warthe country's largest fair wasnotheld.

Fairs in Ontario towns and cities such as London and Bridgen have also been scrapped.

The Calgary Stampede, which survived the Great Depression and flooding,was cancelled in July because of the virusand the need for physical distancing.

In the Hamilton area the Ancaster Fair isn't taking place for only the second time in its 170-year history. The only other time it was shut downwas because of polio.

For theNorfolk County Fair and Horse Show, COVID-19 represents the first time it's ever been halted.

"We've never interrupted the fair, even during the war we were requested to continue providing some entertainment," said general manager George Araujo.

Bringing families and communities together

The Norfolk fair was set to celebrate its 180th year in 2020 andwelcomed more than 120,000 visitors to the fair last year, according to Araujo. It's the biggest annual event in the county and losing it is a big loss.

It's seven days that bringthe community together so farmers can teach people where their food comes from, visitors can get inspired to go home and grow gardens of their own and Norfolk has a chance to show off the best of what it can produce, he said.

"We know there are families that get together they spend a couple of days at the fair, they spend Thanksgiving weekend with their family and friends," explained Araujo.

The fair has teamed up with a local apparel company to produce shirts and sweaters for its "Fair Folk" and is also planning to release a series of videos during the week where the fair would have run to help people stay connected even though it's cancelled.

"Basically we're using the schedule of the fair as a guidepost on what things we'll highlight," said the general manager.

"Maybe it's agriculture, maybe it's entertainment, maybe it's demo derbies, whatever would have happened that day will be in that clip."

Among the videoswill be tips on how to do everything from work withsheep to win a red ribbon.

A virtual fair won't be the same, but Araujo said he believes the future of the fair is "strong" and it will be back next year.

As forChaykowski, he's not sure what he'll do with the hulking pumpkins he has sitting out back.

He might haul in a scale to weigh them up or just estimate how heavy they are based on their measurements.

Going to a weigh-off has become a tradition he shares with his youngest daughter, not to mention the other competitors caught up in the "compulsion" of raising the biggest pumpkin they can, so he plans to keep growing while nurturinghis hope for next time.

"Pumpkin growing is a challenge and if you have any competitive streak in you, and I guess I do, then you keep doing it," he said.

"Hopefully we're back to normal next year."