6 towns, 6 fairs, 7 days

From the littlest of guinea pigs to the largest of Limousin cattle, there’s something that will grab every member of the family at the Milk Run agricultural fairs in Western Manitoba.

The annual week-long circuit of rural community fairs, each organized by their agricultural societies (all of which belong to the Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies or MAAS), includes six towns and opens on July 13 and 14 with Oak River. It then moves to Strathclair, Shoal Lake, Hamiota, Harding and wraps up with Oak Lake on July 19. The towns are close to one another in a manageable 160-kilometre route. That makes it possible, with a little planning, to see them all.

The Milk Run features all the traditions you’d want at country fairs: parades, pancake breakfasts, exhibitors with prized cattle, gymkhana and equestrian shows with light horses, heavy horses, miniature horses and ponies. The towns offer a lengthy list of activities: schoolwork and home-living presentations and competitions, children’s activities, ball games, beer gardens, local artists, small animals, gardening and plants, lawn tractor pulls, and even a classic car show.

The most asked question about the Milk Run is how did it get its name? It’s a mystery that has been pursued and even written about for years.

Linda Wilson, fair secretary at the Hamiota Agricultural Society shared what she’s heard.

“It was called the milk run because every night the farmers had to go home to milk their cows and then they got back the next day to the next fair. That’s the story some of the old timers around told me,” Wilson said.

“Whether that’s true or not, I have no idea. And there’s nobody that’s going to prove it, one way or the other.”

So that’s the definitive answer: there is no definitive answer.

Apart from the name, as an event made up of six consecutive one-day fairs, the Milk Run really is something special.

“It’s just a very unique week of the year in this part of the province. It’s a way for small areas to still come together and exhibit their agriculturally related products. It’s not just the cattle and the horses, there’s lots for the homemakers, too … and the school work for the kids,” said Wenda Best, fair secretary for the Harding Fair.

All of the fairs on the circuit have passed the centennial mark, which, when taking into account the historical upheavals of two world wars, economic depression, industrial and social revolution, and two global pandemics (1918 and 2019), is an extraordinary feat of resilience. It also shows how powerful the need is to “go home.”

“The community fairs are a vital part of our agricultural and community history. Not only do people have an opportunity to showcase their talents … for some, the fair weekend is the one time of year that they return ‘home’ to visit and reconnect,” said Tanis Podobni, fair secretary for the Oak Lake Agricultural Society.

It’s not all homecoming, though. Out-of-town exhibitors come to participate as well as out-of-town fair goers, who add something to the economy when they camp or book accommodations, buy groceries and supplies and spend vacation money in the towns.

Wilson said that at one time, local businesses would close to let their employees go to the fair. These days, those businesses stay open.

Tannis Podobni said each of the six stops has its own unique events and Oak Lake is no exception, with a family dance and fireworks on the Friday night and the auction of the first-of-its-kind community history book at the opening ceremonies.

“Saturday kicks off with a parade, ranch horse competition, light horse show, kids’ corner, mini horse show, cattle show, ball tournament, and, of course, a hot roast beef dinner,” Podobni said.

“On Sunday, the fair will be wrapped up with an Interdenominational church service, followed by a community lunch in the hall.”

Other events to watch out for include the Manitoba Limousin Association Provincial Show in Harding on July 18. The show, which is held in memory of Wanda Best’s father Ronald Sangster, is a prestigious event.

“In our beef show, we have a supreme female class and a supreme male class and the winners go to the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, which is the big wrap-up show in the fall for Western Canada for beef cattle,” Best said.

“It’s kind of equivalent to the Grey Cup — the best of the best. We are honoured to be able to send our qualifiers to that show.”

Hamiota has added to their heavy horse competition this year with additional prize money. The rest of the fairs will have their offerings online.

While the Milk Run fairs have deep roots in their history, the organizers are looking to the future. Investing in the younger generation gets them invested in the fairs. Hamiota, for example, spent $6,000 on children’s entertainment and activities at their 2024 fair.

“(Hamiota) had a major upgrade to our sponsorship last year,” Wilson said.

“We received a lot of new sponsors and a lot of extra funds which enabled us to increase our prize dollars, especially in the junior and school work sections, and that’s the age group we want to target.”