Continuing the Fall Traditions

Before Brenna came along, Jacob and I didn't have a lot of traditions outside of the normal holiday celebrations.  But, once Brenna was born we discovered that if she found enjoyment in something, we kept going back.  That seemed to especially be true for Fall traditions.  After more than five years in Houston, there were several Fall activities that we always enjoyed with friends and never missed; the Fort Bend County Fair 2011, 2012, 2013, and Dewberry Farms 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013.

We were pleased to discover that we could keep those traditions alive here in Sarnia!  We joined some friends, which just happened to be another expat family that moved here from Houston, for a visit to the Brigden Fair and Korny Korners Farm.  And so, it began the re-birth of our Fall traditions!

One afternoon we drove off into the middle of nowhere for the Bridgen Fair.  Sarnia has a very small-town feel, but it is a hub for surrounding areas.  The area around Sarnia is a mass of acres and acres of agriculture.  Fields as far as you can see of corn, wheat, soybean, and a few plants I can't identify.  And the Bridgen Fair is located way out in the middle of one of those wide open spaces.

The fair was every bit what we would expect in comparison to the Fort Bend County Fair, just on a smaller scale and with a northern twist.  Instead of booths filled with cowboy hats, they sold fleece jackets and tights in beautiful and intricate patterns.  Instead of a rodeo, they had motor-cross, and instead of funnel cakes and fried snickers, they had french fries with gravy.  The kids loved it all the same.  They rode rides, toured the barns, played on some very large farm equipment, and enjoyed the motor-cross show.  We also browsed the craft booths and took in some hotdogs and kettle corn.  It was a fun way to take a old tradition and enjoy it in a new way!

The following week we visited Korny Korners, which is a local farm less than 5 miles from our home.  Needless to say the travel time was much more convenient than Dewberry.  We had a beautiful day and practically had the farm to ourselves.  Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated in mid-October so most families had already made their Fall visits.  We caught it on the last weekend it was open.  We enjoyed a hay ride, pumpkin picking, The John Deer Junction, the playground, an inflatable jumpy house, putt-putt golf, pig races, the straw jump, the Whimsical Woods, and a corn maze.  It was really expressive and it took the entire morning to make our way through everything.

Fun at putt-putt golf and an adventure through the Whimsical Woods!

Big leaps at the straw jump!

Which way should we go?

It's been a fun Fall for the McAlister's and we've loved getting to mix a little of the old with the new!  Halloween was a new experience for us here too!  That post is coming soon!