Held annually on the last weekend of August, the three-and-a-half-day celebration is situated perfectly on the farmers' calendar - post-hay and garden produce, and pre-corn and soybean harvest.

"It's a good time for a break," explained Smithville Agricultural Society vice president Cindy Desruisseaux. "We want to show off what our local farmers have and pay them back for their hard work."

Since the late 1800s, the fair has provided a chance for farmers to step back from their harvest work and celebrate their season's toil.

"It was always a day of celebration for farmers to show off what they'd grown," said Desruisseaux. "It was a gathering of the farmers who had been so busy on the farm and it pulled everybody together as a community to socialize for a weekend."

This weekend, 130 years after the first fair, the tradition remains.

The Smithville Fair will once again take over the fairgrounds from Aug. 28 to 31, featuring a number of heavyweight highlights such as horse and tractor pulls, demolition derbies, home craft and school displays, 4-H competitions and midway rides.

The event is expected to attract more than 10,000 people through the fairground gates to enjoy cotton candy, carnival games and midway.

"But people need to know it's not all about the rides," said Desruisseaux. "It's about preserving the roots of agriculture."

Under the slogan of "Gone Country," the 2008 fair will heavily promote the Canadian farmer in both livestock and produce.

West Lincoln Mayor Katie Trombetta said the fall fair provides exposure to the community's foundation - farming.

"It is a showcase of the agricultural tradition that this community is all about," she said. "To be able to sustain such a function in a little community like West Lincoln for 131 years is a tremendous feat. It's amazing to me, how they've been able to maintain it and grow it to the point where it is such an interest to the public."

A variety of unique events have been added to the entertainment slate this season, including a fire truck pulling competition between local departments from West Lincoln, Lincoln, Grimsby and Pelham. Teams comprised of 14 firefighters will attempt to pull a full-scale fire truck down the dirt track.

"Each will get a turn to see who can pull it the farthest," explained Desruisseaux. "Hopefully this will become an ongoing thing that each town can take a turn to host."

Demo derby enthusiasts will also be excited to find out that a figure-8 race will take place on a newly-expanded track. The race is currently slated to be Sunday's grand finale, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday's feature competition will be the Handyman Challenge, in which five teams consisting of a parent and child will build pre-fabricated birdhouses in front of a crowd within an hour's time.

ATV pulls will also hit the track at 5 p.m. for the second year.

Saturday night's slate includes a new reptile show at various times, dog demonstrations at 5 p.m., and a one-night-only adult karaoke competition, with registration beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Friday is Kids' Day, featuring a variety of 4-H events.

Back this year for its second season will be the Amateur Wine Making Competition. Local winemakers have been encouraged to enter and see how their creations stack up against other area amateurs.

There will be nine categories: white vinifera and hybrid, red vinifera and hybrid, rose, social, dessert, country (non-grape wine) and icewine.

2003 Grape King David Johnson of Featherstone Estate Winery and Vineyards will judge the event. Prize money and medals will be awarded in each category. Plaques will be presented for the Best of Show, the Best Wine from Ontario Fruit and Wine Maker of the Year.

For the Smithville Agricultural Society, the organizers of the event, they hope the 2008 fair will blend the urban and agricultural setting under one area for everyone to enjoy.

Planning is a year-round process for the group, which meets at the arena hall on the first Monday of each month. About 100 volunteers are needed to put the fair on each year.

This season's fair will open at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, running until midnight. Hours for the rest of the fair days will be 10 a.m. to midnight.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for those age six to 12, while five and under are free.

All money collected go towards the production of the fair.