An annual affair since the first fair was staged in 1946, the
Rock Creek Fall Fair has grown to become the second biggest agricultural fair in the British Columbia interior, second in size only to the
Armstrong Fair, now known as the Interior Provincial Exhibition (I.P.E.). This is actually quite an impressive feat for a community as small as Rock Creek, with a population somewhere under 400.
In spite of predictions of showers and rainy periods for the two days of the fair (September 17 & 18 in 2016), we headed to Rock Creek to check it out. The jaunt proved to be well worth it. Periodically cowering under our umbrellas through the day, we toured the entire grounds, taking in the beef and animal judging, had a look at every single animal in the place, salivated over the cooking and baking entries, checked out the garden produce on display, poured over the needlework and other handiwork, took a tour of the large midway, haggled with the dozens and dozens of vendors hawking their wares, took in a bit of the entertainment and even roused Smokey the Bear from his slumber, sending him out into the grounds to mingle with the fairgoers. All things considered, this is a great small town fair, one of the few true agricultural fairs left in this neck of the woods.
Often referred to as "
The biggest little country fair around", as well as the obligatory livestock show and competition, the fair offers lots of entertainment through the day - a lumberjack entertainment show, including demonstrations of including Pole Climbing, Wood Chopping, Crosscut Sawing and Axe Throwing - live entertainment all day in the bandstand - gold mining and panning exhibitions, demonstrations and competitions. There were also displays of farm machinery at the fair for the farmers to pine over and a few antiques sprinkled about.
This last, gold mining and gold panning, is particularly germane to the community of Rock Creek itself, as gold was discovered in Rock Creek, the creek, right at Rock Creek, the townsite, in 1858, causing an immediate stampede of prospectors to the area, the majority from south of the 49th. This proved to be one of the seminal events, along with the discovery of gold on the Fraser River on the coast, in the creation of the colony, later province, of British Columbia. Though the border between the United States and Canada had previously been established, talk arose among the many U.S. born miners, then in the vicinity, of annexing the area to the U.S. The area previously being uninhabited, the colony of Canada had no military presence in the BC interior. The then governor of British Columbia, Sir James Douglas, travelled to Rock Creek and threatened to send in 500 British soldiers if the miners wouldn't behave themselves. They did and peace reigned in the area thereafter.
The Competitions & Exhibits consist of:
• 4-H - Beef, Beef Showmanship, Clothing, Ranch Horse, Sheep
• Agriculture - Agriculture, Farm Produce, Field Produce, Plants & Flowers,
Vegetables, Fruits & Nuts
• Animal - Beef - Female & Male, Sheep, Swine, Educational Displays,
Guinea Pigs, Rabbits, Poultry, Children’s Poultry
• Arts, Crafts & Hobbies - Art - Adult & Young Adult (16-19), Green Art, Photography, Crafts - (5 & under), (6-8), (9-12), (13-15), Crafts & Hobbies,
Senior Citizen Crafts
• Cooking & Preserves - Home Canning, Jellies & Jams, Home Cooking, Wine, Displays
• Horses & Arena Events - Gymkhana, Heavy Horse Show, Lawn Mower Races, Kids Farm Games, Trailer Race
• Needle Craft - Knitting, Embroidery, Crochet, Sewing, Quilting
All in all, there's a lot of stuff on display and, despite the less than perfect weather, there were a lot of people out to slowly amble through the various display buildings, marveling and salivating at everything they encountered. At the information booth, located just inside the entrance to the 60 acre fair grounds, the ladies there apprised us that the average annual attendance is around 9,000 fair goers, something like 25 times the population of Rock Creek itself.
1946 ... The Beginning
The Rock Creek and Boundary Fair first opened in 1946 and has been an annual event since then. The fair began as a one day event to showcase agricultural products and to bring the community together for a day of fun. Although the fair has expanded to two days and now includes other attractions, the country fair atmosphere remains. The fair is still a community event and is organized and presented almost entirely by volunteers. There is a core group of volunteers that are involved in planning on a year round basis. In the weeks that lead up to fair days, most of the community becomes involved in some way. Some are involved in the cleanup and preparation of the buildings. Many others are busy getting their entries ready for judging and display
The emphasis of the Rock Creek and Boundary Fair remains on agriculture and home crafts. Animal shows and judging are a central part of the program. Displays of fruits and vegetables, cooking and canning, baking and needlework are varied and interesting with everyone from kids to seniors vying for a blue ribbon.
The fair venue has changed from the first fair, which was held at the community hall on the highway, to the sixty acres that it now occupies. There is a pavilion building to house the displays as well as barns and an arena for animal housing and show. Throughout the years, the Fair has seen many improvements to the grounds, which are ongoing. Lights have been added to the arena so that shows can go on after dark. The Pavilion building has been decorated with murals designed and painted by local artists. These murals depict the landscape and history of the local area.
From the Rock Creek Fall Fair