PERTH - The Perth Fair will start off on a different foot this year.
Organizers have cancelled the annual parade through town in light
of traffic congestion and the business impact of ongoing construction on Wilson Street.
Instead, popular local country rockers Tailgate will open the festivities on
Friday, Sept. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Perth Fairgrounds.
The parade was cancelled this year because the Perth and District Agricultural Society board
decided the event would cause too much inconvenience by closing roads in
addition to the delays and detours due to the reconstruction of Wilson Street.
“We felt as a group that they’ve been through enough,” said Gene
Richardson, president of the Perth Fair, referring to downtown merchants who
have lost business due to the construction. “We felt that we didn’t want to make
anyone lose anymore.”
Richardson noted that the cancellation is
for this year only, and the parade will return next year.
“This is a one-time thing,” Richardson
said. “It will be back at full strength next year.”
“It will be a much better and more attractive route next year,”
when construction is completed, he said, adding that board understands the
Wilson Street construction is necessary to upgrade the underground services and
the road surface.
The parade usually begins at The Factory on Sunset Boulevard and
continues down Wilson Street,
along Foster Street
and Gore Street
before winding its way to the
fairgrounds.
The parade has only been cancelled once before in the past two
decades, that time due to rain, Richardson
said.
To warm up to the opening festivities on Sept. 3, Tailgate will
take to the newly-covered stage at the Perth
fairgrounds at 5 p.m. The concert will be followed by the regular opening
ceremony.
This year marks the 165th anniversary of the fair, which takes
place Sept. 3 to 6 – Labour Day weekend.
For more details about what to expect at this year’s fair, watch
www.yourottawaregion.com and upcoming editions of The Perth Courier.