One of the biggest events in London City, the Western Fair, concluded on Sunday. For some, it provided memorable moments, while others had mixed feelings due to increased costs.
A Londoner at the fair said, “I have been coming to this fair for the last 30 years. It used to be fun, and I have great memories of it. However, in the last few years, it’s become more and more expensive. Now I have to think twice before bringing my family members here, as it might make a big dent in my wallet. I absolutely love the fair, but inflation and rising costs are somehow making me reconsider attending events like this.”
Traci Farrell was one of the fair’s visitors this year, and she thoroughly enjoyed her time there. She said, “I like it. I actually don’t go on any of the rides; my nieces are the ones on the rides, and they are having a fabulous time. I think this is the 8th or 9th time they’ve been on this ride.” Regarding the pricing, she had her own opinion. She said, “I thought what you get is worth the price being asked. The food we ate was amazing and had generous portions. It’s good value for what you get.”
Dwight Trowsse owns a stall selling corn dogs. He shared how the experience was for his business this year. “It’s been fair. It hasn’t been extremely busy, but it’s been decent, and we are always here at the Western Fair. I’ve been here myself for almost 20 years, and the gentleman I bought it from had been in this booth for probably 30 years.”
Regarding the increased prices, he said, “I don’t believe the cost is crucial because I believe people come to a fair to have fun, and I don’t think they are thinking about prices. I know the prices for vendors have changed due to factors like the price of oil, etc., with the economy. So, yes, our prices have been significantly affected, but I think overall the customers are accepting that because they just want to have fun again after what everyone has been through during the pandemic.”
He further stated, “The fair has changed since COVID-19 and the move of the fair from across the street to here. It’s still a bit of a learning curve, I think, for both the crowd and the vendors as well, and yes, there is still some work to do, but I believe it can be successful overall.”
Greg Blanchard is the Director of Equine Programming at the Western Fair, and he discusses what lies ahead for the Western Fair. He said, “Well, this is our second year coming out of the pandemic. Last year was a big challenge coming back after not having a fair for a couple of years, with some new staff and a new footprint. We had to move the fair across the road from its non-traditional location, but it went really well last year, and this year, we’ve made further changes and improvements, and so far, it’s going really well.”
“London is a growing city, and the demographics are changing. Like all fairs across North America, we’ve had to change and adapt while trying to maintain the familiar fair elements. It’s an ongoing challenge, but one that we enjoy. The fair is really ingrained in what we do here at the Western Fair Association, so we’re excited about the future. We see the community coming out and embracing it again this year, and people of all ages are having a wonderful time. So yes, we’re very optimistic and excited about what the future holds,” said Blanchard.
Here is a clip from an interview.
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