🌲 Since 1881
💚 Free (By Donation)
👨👩👧👦 Family Friendly
South River Machar Fall Fair 2026
A day of horse pulls, a lumberjack competition, and northern hospitality in the Almaguin Highlands
Date
Sat, Sept 12
Cost
By Donation
Where
South River, ON
Pets
Not Allowed
A parade, a heavy and light horse pull with teams travelling in from across Ontario and Quebec, an all-ages lumberjack competition, and free rides for kids — the South River Machar Fall Fair has been the Almaguin Highlands’ harvest tradition since 1881.
🐴 Heavy & Light Horse Pull
🪓 Lumberjack Competition
🎉 Parade
🎠 Free Mechanical Rides
💡 The fair is by donation — there’s no set gate fee, so bring what you can to support a volunteer-run society that’s been at this since 1881.
✨ Why This Fair Is Worth the Drive
The South River Machar Agricultural Society has been putting this fair on since 1881, which makes it one of the older continuously running community fairs in the Almaguin Highlands, well north of Toronto near Algonquin Park. It’s a genuinely volunteer-driven event — the society’s mission statement talks about connecting a diverse community and celebrating rural living, and that spirit runs through every part of fair day.
The horse pull is the fair’s signature draw. Teams travel in from communities across Ontario and even Quebec to compete in light horse (combined team weight under 3,500 lbs) and heavy horse (over 3,500 lbs) classes, pulling progressively heavier loads in front of a crowd that treats it as the day’s main event. Alongside it, organizers have revived a locally organized lumberjack competition, with nail driving and crosscut sawing contests open to all ages.
The fair also leans into family-friendly extras that change slightly year to year — past editions have added a mechanical bull, teacup, and windjammer rides, all free for kids, plus a toddler tractor pull, a trackless train, and carnival games. Add a parade with a different theme each year (past themes have included “Old TV Shows”), traditional hall exhibits for baking, crafts, and produce, and live music and dancing to close out the day, and it’s a genuinely full northern Ontario fall fair experience packed into a single day.
This is very much a fair for the whole family, drawing residents from South River, Machar, and the wider Almaguin Highlands together for what organizers describe as northern hospitality at its best. Since the fair is run entirely by volunteers, the atmosphere stays personal — you’re as likely to run into a fair director as a stranger, and the exhibit hall entries reflect real local talent rather than a commercial vendor show.
🗓️ Fair Day Schedule
The South River Machar Fall Fair is a single-day event, held Saturday, September 12, 2026. Exact program times are confirmed closer to the date via the society’s Facebook page, but the day traditionally runs from morning through evening as follows:
Morning
Exhibit hall entries and judging (baking, crafts, produce, photography); vendor and artisan booths set up; the annual Parade through South River kicks off the day’s festivities and draws a strong turnout from the surrounding townships.
Midday & Afternoon
Heavy & Light Horse Pull competition with teams from across Ontario and Quebec; Lumberjack Competition (nail driving, crosscut sawing); traditional kids’ games, carnival games, and free mechanical rides; local food and artisan vendors throughout the grounds.
Evening
Live music and dancing close out the fair, with hall exhibits and results on display throughout the venue.
📋 The Essentials
🎟️ Admission
By donation — there’s no fixed gate price. Bring cash to support the volunteer-run Agricultural Society.
📖 Exhibiting
Fair Regular and Specials prize books are available on the society’s website, at the South River Library, or at the Kwik-Way. Entry deadlines are typically in late August.
👨👩👧 Best For
Families, horse-pull enthusiasts, and anyone exploring the Almaguin Highlands who wants a genuine small-town northern Ontario fair with a strong sense of local community.
🎪 What to Expect Around the Grounds
Attractions vary a little year to year, but recent editions have featured:
Toddler Tractor Pull
Trackless Train
Cotton Candy & Carnival Games
Mechanical Bull Ride
Local Artisan Vendors
Hall Exhibits & Baking Contests
🚗 Getting There & Parking
The South River-Machar Community Centre and Arena hosts the fairgrounds at 1A Lincoln Avenue, in the small village of South River, part of the Almaguin Highlands region north of Huntsville and south of North Bay.
From Highway 11: South River sits directly on Highway 11 between Huntsville and North Bay, making it an easy stop for anyone travelling that corridor.
📍 Get Directions to the Fairgrounds
💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
🐾 Leave pets at home. Due to the horse shows and livestock exhibits on the grounds, pets aren’t permitted at the fair.
💵 Bring cash for the donation box. There’s no fixed admission price, and the society relies on donations to run the fair each year.
🐴 Time your visit around the horse pull. It’s the fair’s marquee event and draws teams from well outside the immediate area.
📱 Check the society’s Facebook page closer to the date. Exact event times and any new attractions are typically confirmed there in the weeks before the fair.
🎉 Join the parade if you’re up for it. Entries are open to anyone — walk, ride, or float the route — and there are prizes for best-dressed themes, floats, vehicles, and more.
🌦️ Dress for northern Ontario September weather. Mornings can be cool in the Almaguin Highlands even on a sunny fair day, so a light jacket is worth packing.
❓ Common Questions
Details may change — always confirm on the official South River Machar Agricultural Society website before heading out.
Location
Get DirectionsSouth River-Machar Community Centre and Arena, 1A Lincoln Avenue, South River, ON, P0A 1X0
