The 155th edition of the Orangeville Fall Fair took centre stage locally over the Labour Day long weekend with more than 12,000 visitors passing through the turnstiles for the four-day event.

"The focus of the fair is the showing of cattle and horses and prepping them for the larger shows, such as the Royal Winter Fair (at Toronto's CNE grounds)," said Karen McClellan, secretary and fair facilitator for the Orangeville Agricultural Society.

While the attendance numbers were up by between 2,000 and 3,000 from last year, Ms. McClellan conceded that major draws of the fair do not necessarily have an agricultural component.

"The demolition derby always draws a sellout crowd," she says, "as does the Big Air Insanity stunt motorcycle show."

There were also the everpopular midway attractions, as well as truck and tractor pulls and such entertainers as Dirty Dishes, Crystal Gage, the River Road Cloggers and Two of a Kind.

There was also a new and notable event. The Wayne Reid Memorial Class 1 Draft Horse Show was named for the former Town of Mono director of public works and roads director who passed away from cancer earlier this year.

Ms. McClellan attributes other factors to the numbers being better than 2008 and about the same as 2007. "The fact the kids were already back in school helped," she said, "as well as the nice weather we had."