In farming communities across Canada the annual fair is awaited with enthusiasm and excitement. Patchwork quilts receive their last stitches, favourite recipes are dug out and the farm's best livestock is groomed and pampered for the day the judges award their ribbons. Impatient children eagerly talk about the rides, treats and exotic sideshows that bring daredevils from big cities and reptiles from distant lands. For the townfolk it is a time to meet old friends from neighbouring communities who may not have seen each other since last year's fair. Canada's first agricultural fair was held in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1765 over 100 years before Confederation. In this historic Annapolis Valley town Canada's oldest Exhibition prepares for its annual autumnal excitement. Parades with bands signal the opening of the fair where lavish displays of fruits, flowers, vegetables, poultry and livestock await the decision of the judges. At every moment there's something to do or see at this exhibition. Besides the many exhibits, there arc plowing contests, ox and tractor pulls and tugs-of-war that send the losers tumbling into the heel-dug earth and the winning team home with the hundred dollar kitty. Since 1915 the Federal Department of Agriculture has granted money to Canadian fairs. Last year financial assistance to 111 fairs totalled about one million dollars. This money is used for the construction and repair of exhibition buildings, for paying judges and for cash awards. Fall fairs are the showcase for Canadian agriculture and a time for assessing the harvest of one of Canada's major primary industries.