If you are quite young, or just don’t want to become ill on one of the more adventurous midway rides, the merry-go-ride is a good choice. Tinkess Photo
NAVAN – Navan is a community that is teetering on the edge between urban sprawl and prime agricultural land, so they might be excused if it takes a while to figure out what their identity is, but one thing is not in question and that is their ability to put on a fair.
With onsite parking at a premium, vehicles were parked on both sides of the road east and west of the main entrance for as far as you could see. This didn’t seem to be a problem though: people parked where they could, then walked to the fairgrounds, waited patiently in line to purchase a ticket, then proceeded inside.
There were a couple cancellations Friday evening because of the heavy rains that had fallen earlier in the week. One of these was the extremely popular demolition derby, but even this disappointment didn’t seem to sway anyone and not a discouraging word could be heard.
It seems the closer you get to Ottawa, the larger the crowds get at the many fairs that take place over the late summer and early fall, and Navan was no exception. Some areas were pretty much shoulder to shoulder and the more popular midway rides had long lines that never seemed to get any shorter, but credit to the ride operators, they kept things moving without, at least in the time that I was watching, taking any shortcuts.
No one goes to a fair without planning on having something to eat and the Navan Fair had more than just the usual burgers, BBQ, hot dogs, fries, and poutine, adding a generous selection of big city street vendor food to satisfy any taste.
The large horse and wagon competition was held in the arena. In an arena the horses seemed larger than life, encased as they were behind the rink glass. When you’ve got four wagons, each pulled by a team of six enormous horses, things can get pretty exciting, especially when they need to change direction. The respective drivers were more than up to the task, and everything went off without a hitch.
As the sun began to set, people were still coming and going and the number of vehicles on the side of the road had decreased, but only slightly. The Navan Fair, like many others, carries with it the added value of memories. In this area, in August, Navan is a place you need to be.
Terry Tinkess is a professional photographer, educator and journalist. He has been making a living with a camera and keyboard since 1999 and has been featured in such publications as The Ottawa Citizen, Cornwall Standard Freeholder, The Globe and Mail, The Miami Herald, Ottawa Construction News, The Ontario Construction Report, Ontario Home Builder Magazine, Reed Construction Data, Canadian Potato Business and most recently, The Record and Eastern Ontario AgriNews. Terry lives in Ingleside, Ontario with his wife Brenda, Mia the anxious Pittie and cats Wally and Chubbers.
