Autumn is here, and so is the Harbord Village Residents’ Association’s (HVRA) fall fair. On Sunday, Sept. 11, residents of Harbord Village gathered in Margaret Fairley Park on Brunswick Avenue to celebrate their neighbourhood and the season with a joyous community event.

The fair hosted live music, a barbecue, a silent auction, and themed booths throughout the park. The heritage booth was filled with information, maps, and diagrams detailing Old Toronto, while the environmental booth provided information about climate change and gave out free seeds. At the bake sale there were homemade treats, jams, and bread made by community members.

The fall fair has some history behind it. The fair was first held in 1992 by the Sussex Ulster Residents’ Association, the HVRA’s predecessor. Since then, it has only been cancelled twice due to weather and twice more due to the pandemic.

Since the first fall fair 30 years ago, there are still some familiar faces. One of the vendors at the bake sale, Mary, has been selling her baked goods for at least 20 years and says she remembers her mother doing the same for years before that. Former HVRA president, Gus Sinclair, has been playing the bagpipes at the fair since the early 1990s, and this year was no different. He kicked off the day with a solo performance and then played later with his band Caledon County.

Many people at the fair said they enjoyed seeing the community come together to enjoy a wholesome day. Fair-goer Kathy said this was her first time at the fall fair and that she “wanted to check out the action” when she saw all the people gathered. She enjoyed the music and said that she even ran into a few of her neighbours.

This year’s fall fair was a hit and is planned to return next year.

—Fox Oliver/Gleaner News