By Jay Scott Kanes

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI, Canada -- Step right up! Play a game by throwing a ball. Win a prize. Take a wild ride. Watch a show. Buy cotton candy. Chew it in the company of cows. Win back all your money with a clever wager on the horse races.

What beats a day at the provincial fair? In my favorite scene at the recent Old Home Week, a yearly “family fun fair” here, a big dog sat among humans (evidently even with a reserved seat) to watch the afternoon horse races. Presumably, the canine didn’t wager much.

Nearby, old men pressed against a trackside fence to pontificate about what horse would win the Gold Cup and Saucer, the year’s biggest race. On the midway, tattooed damsels carried plush toys won by their macho men in games of skill or luck. Screams and laughter filled the air.

Some children thrilled at showing their derring-do on wild midway rides like the Zipper. Certain attractions moved so fast that the clinging passengers blurred. Tamer rides, like the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel, drew less interest. A few youngsters squeezed onto kiddies’ rides, maybe old favorites suddenly too small for their maturing frames. Tiny tots glided down the Super Slide, often escorted by reluctant parents.

In the Charlottetown Civic Centre, meticulously groomed horses pulled buggies or wagons, athletic dogs did stunts and popular musicians let loose. Two mascots, one in a chicken costume, the other dressed as a cow, wandered everywhere.

In the barns, real animals, mainly birds, bovines and steeds, waited in cages or stalls for chances to compete in contests of beauty, obedience or speed. Curious city children peered into enclosures at the fascinating farm critters. I even saw two men apparently debate the best way to wash a sheep.

Many displays tried to enlighten city-slickers about farming and rural lifestyles. “A tractor costs as much as six cars,” one sign said.

There’s a lively song, “Bill Lynch Girl”, which captures the spirit of Old Home Week complete with its history of featuring a Bill Lynch Midway and the Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP). Originally, the Rude Mechanicals, a pop-rock band, did the song. Later the Celtic-flavored Fiddlers’ Sons, led by Eddy Quinn, recorded it.

I took her to the fair
Cause she liked it there,
Thought I’d try
And win her a teddy bear.
Bought her cotton candy,
Won a feather for her hair….
Done a little betting at the CDP,
Put all of our money on number three.
Coming round the quarter-mile,
And he lost her.
He didn’t win the Gold Cup and Saucer….
And it’s about Old Home Week….
It’s about scurrying like a squirrel.
I think I love my Bill Lynch girl.
From “Bill Lynch Girl”, recorded by the Rude Mechanicals (2004) and by Fiddlers’ Sons (2007)

At the 2009 fair, many folks scurried like squirrels, especially on the midway and near the wagering windows. Once a year, there’s nothing like a day at the provincial fair.


Previously Published: Hurly-Burly, Tasty Treats, Timely Steeds Turn Heads at Old Home Week, September 1, 2007


Thrill-seekers show derring-do on the midway.


Seniors press against a trackside fence to
pontificate about prospects for a big race.


A curious child peers into an enclosure
at the fascinating farm critters inside.


What do you reckon works best to wash a sheep?


Old-favorite rides turn too small for maturing torsos.


Going around the turn 'and he lost her.
He didn't win the Gold Cup and Saucer.'

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