Christmas Fair at the Farm

Pretty much every Canadian family has a relative that lives on a farm. And to be a good (annoying) relative, one must make the obligatory trek a few times a year. My sister went all country on me a few years back, so I now haul out to rural Alberta, to visit her family and the cows. My kid likes it. Not that I don’t. It’s just that I’m not of the Country 105 persuasion, unless I’m drunk or at Stampede.

Anyhoo, I like to take in the kitchy fairs and events that I was forced to attend as a child. That’s what parenting is all about, isn’t it?

Last weekend we drove to the farm for the annual Christmas market. I mean it could’ve been any Christmas market, in any prairie town, but out of respect for all the famous people living in the vicinity, I won’t disclose the location.

This is what my drive looked like:

This is what my front seat looked like during the trek:

And this is what we made to take to the fair:

This is what you can buy at the fair:

And this:

The fair sells the same products as I’m sure they did in the ’80’s. There’s something immensely comforting in that. You’ve got your Tupperware, your handmade, quilted table runners, your Avon. Noticeably absent was Mary Kay cosmetics. Surely they have a sales rep in this neck of the woods. I wonder if she ran off with a brooding farm hand? No matter. Not a lot of sales go on. It’s more of an excuse for neighbours to reconnect after a busy harvest.

The ankle biters get to visit with Santa and snag a goody bag filled with leftover Halloween candy, crayons, stickers and the like. It’s really sweet. Especially the magic reindeer food that we judiciously spread out for Rudolf, every Christmas Eve.

Around mid-day, we drive back to the big city; speeding past tangled caragana that flank the range roads, and gossip about the lazy farmers who haven’t covered their bales of hay. The prairies are bathed in golden light, as the sun slips below the Rockies. I pull into our driveway, thankful I’ve made it home without hitting a deer. Soon the city washes over me, and I’m back to my neurotic self. All seems right in the world.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Hope you find time to hit up a fair. Are there any particular Christmas markets you recommend visiting? Please let me know.