Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Midway rides, tractor pulls, western games, live music-this year’s Napanee Fair (July 29-Aug. 1) will see all the favourites return with a new unique feature ‘rolled’ in.
That characteristic comes courtesy Jay Bradley of Disco Ball Events, who will be operating his roller skating rink inside the old arena on the Fairgrounds all weekend. Bradley says the roller skating sessions, which will be included with the price of admission to the fair, is his way of giving back to the Napanee Fair board who have kept his business afloat during the difficult lockdowns.
“If it wasn’t for the fair board I definitely would have thrown in the towel by now,” said Bradley, thanking Leonard, Betty and Victoria Austin as well as Krissy Martin of the fair board for not charging him rent for the arena during the shutdown.
“We’re just adding another attraction to bring people to the fair,” Bradley says of the roller-skating. “Roller skate rink, which is different from outside roller skating, is basically show and entertainment based in a lot of ways. It’s becoming like a ‘daycation’ trip or a destination type business. Napanee is on the map in the entertainment world because of roller skating now.”
Disco Ball Events owner Jay Bradley and his son Sam inside the arena’s skate room. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
He says it makes for the perfect family friendly entertainment for the fair, which returns after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. Being one of just two roller rinks in the province, and the only one situated on a fairgrounds, it’s safe to say no other fair in Ontario will have something quite like the Napanee Fair. Roller skating sessions will be held in hour and half intervals throughout the long weekend.
Also featured at the fair will be all the standard exhibits that have been a long-standing tradition in the community going on 189 years.
The midway opens at 4 p.m. on July 29 followed by the big tractor pull at 5 p.m. with official opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. inside the palace, followed directly by the Napanee Has Talent Show.
On the Saturday the fun continues with displays starting at 10 a.m. followed by the midway opening at 11 a.m. In the evening will be a tractor pull at 6 p.m. ahead of a country music show inside the palace at 7 p.m. featuring the Dean James Band with co-headliners Napanee’s own Emily Clair and Deborah Lynn.
Sunday will include commercial/wagon horses, a pony pull and heavy horse pull.
Monday at 1 p.m. is the always-popular demolition derby.
A complete schedule of events and times can be found on the Napanee Fair Facebook page, which also includes a link to purchase advance passes. Advance ride passes for unlimited rides for a day can also be purchased up until July 28 at Pick N Brew By You, located at 113 Richmond Blvd. Unit 11 in Napanee for $30. The price increases to $40 on July 29. Daily passes will also be available at the gate during the fair for $10 per person.