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~ ~ Enderby Fairs
~ ~ Grindrod Fairs
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Victoria Day celebrations
were established in Enderby in 1892 to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria. Iin later
years the Saturday of the fair was declared a civic holiday by the mayor, because the
fairs proved to be educational. After this time, children were caught repeating "The
24th of May, the Queen's birthday. If they don't give us a holiday, we'll run away! And
play in the hay."
The local communities, therefore, got involved in preparing for, or going
to, the annual fairs. People either walked or used their own horses and buggies to get to
and from the fair. One person was quoted as saying: "The fairs are the best days
Enderby has seen since World War I." The fairs were held only during daylight hours,
because there was no lighting system.
Special events that attracted residents to visit the fairs in Enderby were the horse races
and the log rolling contests. Water races took place slightly up-river from the bridge. Spectators crowded onto the little
bridge, until it looked like it would collapse, and they clapped and cheered for the
canoeists and the contestants who were brave enough to risk falling into the cold, spring
water.
One event that drew the laughter from the crowd was the "greasy pole"
competition. One end of the thirty foot pole had a dollar bill tacked onto it. The object
of the event was to walk from one end of the pole, that was anchored onto the bridge, to
the other end, without slipping off. Very few people successfully walked the length of the
pole to claim their prize at the other end.
Another water event that took place at the bridge was the tipping of canoes. The men
paddled their canoes wearing dress shirts and top hats, and each hoped he wouldn't be the
one to plunge into the icy, high-water run-off.
The horse races varied greatly. There were events from bronco riding and bare-back riding,
to steer wrestling and calf roping. The race track circled a clump of birch trees, west of
the railroad track, at the end of what used to be Evergreen Avenue. This race track was
one of the biggest in the interior of B.C. and won distinction for the excellence of the
track.
For the younger people, there were the traditional foot races. The majority of the running
took place down the main street--the short sprints and potato-sack races. The long
distance runs covered an entire section of the little city. A bit of money was offered to
all of the winners in the different age categories in the Saturday morning races. In the
afternoon, there was a yearly tug-of-war contest in which all ages could participate.
Baseball games against neighbouring communities provided further entertainment for those
who were bored. Axe throwing, hammer throwing, and other special events drew the attention
of the crowd, as there were no such things as rides or midway games. The fair was for all
ages, with many events appealing to men, women and children alike.
During the annual fair, dances were held in the Drill Hall. For those who didn't like dancing, there were motion picture shows, shown at the Opera House, for entertainment. The picture shows were black and white with no sound. The words of the actors would be flashed onto the screen in-between scenes. Pianists were hired to play during the entire performance, to make the show seem more interesting and lively, as well as to ease the tension of sitting in a silent building.
The first fall fair for Enderby was held on September 14, 1923, at the Enderby arena and agricultural hall. Residents could enter their products in a variety of categories, ranging from field produce and livestock, to garden vegetables, homecooking, artwork and needlework. Prizes were awarded to the healthiest, freshest, tastiest or most detailed product. The prizes were awarded to the top three contestants. Money or a gift of equal value, such as a sack of sugar or a bag of potatoes, along with a ribbon, was awarded to the winners in each category. The prizes were donated by merchants, farmers and residents from nearby communities. Competition in each group was quite keen because entries came from Mara, Deep Creek, Grindrod, Enderby and other adjacent localities.
Michelle Imbeau, Alvin Hand, Julie Williamson
ALF School 1989