We have a new tradition in our house: attending the Southlands Fall Fair. I felt like I stepped into a 1950s BBC special and kept expecting everyone to speak with British accents. What a ton of horse and farm-filled fun!
We got there when the gates opened at 10am. I recommend arriving early as the crowds just continued to grow in size as the day progressed. When you first arrive buy your tickets and then high-tail it over to the pony rides. You have to sign up for a time slot. The pony rides are SUPER popular and the time slots fill up quickly.
While we waited for our pony-riding time slot we explored the rest of the activities. Word of advice: wear close-toed, comfortable shoes. You spend the day walking over acres upon acres of uneven, grassy, dusty fields (it is farm country after all). We started by checking out the petting zoo and the buy & sell. Next it was off to a massively tall inflatable slide. Our 3 year old loved it. Our 5 year old was none-too-sure about the slide once he saw it from the top. However, as there was only one option, he made it to the bottom…terrified face and all.
There were a multitude of stations set up for the kids: face painting, crafts, hay throwing, pedal tractors, bouncy horses, and hay wagon rides. Such fun!
During all of this horse demonstrations occurred in one of the rings. People plunked themselves down on the grassy hill and watched jumping, dressage, tumbling and more.
The kids loved their pony rides. The ride was roughly 3 minutes long. Our eldest would have happily stayed on much longer; the 3 minutes was great for the 3 year old. Our boys talk fondly of their rides on Gremlin and Louis.
The midway had 8 carnival-esque games for the kids to play. Everything from fishing for ducks to coloured hairspray entertained the kids. However, I think my favourite section was the kid-horse-jumping section of the midway games. The boys put on horse costumes and galloped around the ring climbing over jumps of various sizes. Most entertaining!
In addition to the activities, a number of food trucks were on site to keep everyone nourished. We visited Kaboom Box for a lunch of fish & chips. There were trucks serving coffee, ice cream as well as other meal options. I didn’t see an ATM anywhere on site. While some of the trucks accept plastic it is helpful to have cash on hand.
Admission to the Southlands Fall Fair is free. The activities range from free to 5 tickets (the pony rides were 5 tickets per child). We purchased 25 tickets for $20. The 25 tickets were sufficient for our 2 boys.
