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See You At The Fair
The Grand Old ANE

Entertainment and fun have changed drastically through the years but the fall fair celebrated in Saint John is still a popular attraction for people of all ages. This year, The Atlantic National Exhibition will take place in Saint John from August 29 - September 1 at Exhibition Park.

The earliest forerunner of the ANE was held in Saint John in 1818. Through the years they have been called "fairs' or ‘exhibitions'. Although dictionaries have different definitions for the two words, the names were used interchangeably in Saint John. An exhibition in 1842, was described as "a very excellent assortment of articles from the manufacturing establishments of the City". Canada's first industrial fair, sponsored by the Mechanics' Institute was held in Saint John in 1851, that was the same year that Prince Albert's Great Exhibition took place in London.

After the Great Fire of 1877, a large exhibition building was constructed on the Barrack Green in the south end. In 1883, Saint John's Centennial Year, they built an additional building. These two permanent structures provided 92,000 square feet of floor space and were in use until the outbreak of the Second World War. In our Centennial year, the exhibition was given the name, Dominion Centennial. It opened on October 1 and festivities continued for two weeks. They included rowing races in the harbour, fireworks, harness racing, tree planting in Queen Square and the unveiling of a drinking fountain in Haymarket Square.

In 1890, Saint John held its first World Fair, called "Canada's International Exhibition". It was so elaborate, two sites were needed - Barrack Green in the south end and the Moosepath Driving Park near the present site of Exhibition Park Raceway. The Midway, outdoor shows, displays of farm machinery and for additional livestock and poultry buildings erected in later years all took place at Barrack Green. At Moosepath there was a race track and enough grounds to build 900 horse stalls and 400 cattle stalls, the two locations were connected by a direct railway service almost door-to-door. Its success was beyond all expectations with over 50,000 people attending.

Exhibitions in Saint John continued to be staged annually until 1914 when they were suspended for the duration of the war years. It then continued without interruption until the year 1939. That year all the preparations had been completed, ready for the opening on September 3, when World War II was declared. During the war the buildings and grounds were taken over by the military and as a result of an unfortunate accident all the buildings were lost in a disastrous fire. It was 15 years before an Association was able to organize the next exhibition.

Come to the fair is still an on-going phrase each fall in Saint John. There are the lights and the noise of the midway but the various exhibits created by artists, crafters, flower and vegetable growers are extremely popular. There is also an opportunity to talk to and meet the various exhibitors which includes farmers and farm animals. Of course, it wouldn't seem like an exhibition without horse racing, a very popular component of all the larger exhibitions across Canada.

Fairs or exhibitions have been taking place in Saint John for almost 200 years but at the Atlantic National Exhibition there is still something for everyone. Things change but it still provides fun and excitement for young and old.

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