Image

 

Cara Vosburg

The Independent

The Brooke-Alvinston-Watford Fall Fair will be bubbling with excitement this weekend.

Fair-goers who have adopted a been-there, done-that attitude about many of the standard Midway attractions might want will find something new this weekend. Sunday afternoon a new experience will be offered free-of-charge, to all those in attendance: Bubble Ball Racing.

Also known as a Zorb ball, the bubble ball is a giant inflatable ball made of transparent plastic that people climb into and use to roll around.

If climbing into a giant plastic bubble isn’t your idea of a good time, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy. The Canadian Cow Girls Precision Drill Team will be showing off their impressive horse skills during performances Saturday and Sunday, and the West Coast Lumberjack Show will have two show times Sunday afternoon.

The fan-favourite pie auction will be taking place Friday evening. Submitted pies will be judged, and the best pies of the evening will be auctioned off. All proceeds from the auction go to the London’s Health Sciences Centre Children’s Hospital. The event sometimes has more than 30 pies entered, says Nancy Shepley, President of the Brooke Alvinston Agricultural Society.  Last year $18,000 was raised for the Children’s Hospital—one pie went for more than $1,200, she says.

The Tractor Pull and a performance by local band Woodchuck Thief are on tap Friday evening, with the beer tent open.

This year is the 139th anniversary of the fair. “It’s a great community event; it brings everybody together,” says Shepley.

Share This

Image
Front Page

Over $300K in drugs and $150K seized by Sarnia Police

September 17, 2026

The Independent Sarnia Police have charged one man after seizing over $300,000 in drugs and over $150,000 in cash. Police executed several search warrants and found four kilos of crystal methamphetamine, one kilo of cocaine, prescription hydromorphone pills, 120 oxycodone tablets, scales and packing material along with $151,452. A 42-year-old Sarnia man was arrested and charged with multiple offences including:

Read More

Image
Front Page

New focus on rebuilding lost tourism traffic

September 17, 2026

Cathy Dobson/The Independent Efforts are being stepped up to revive American tourist traffic, left on life support by the pandemic and tariff threats, says Adam Veen. The new executive director of Tourism Sarnia-Lambton (TSL) has been on the job only a few weeks but had some good news for local politicians and tourism leaders attending TSL’s annual general meeting Thursday.

Read More

Image
Front Page

Watford mourns loss of long-time firefighter

September 17, 2026

Milner served the Watford Fire Service for 60 years The Independent Keith Milner is being remembered for his life-long commitment to his community, family and friends. Milner had served as a Watford firefighter for 55 years and the caretaker of the Watford fire hall for another five years before his retirement from the department. He passed away Saturday. In a

Read More

Image
Front Page

Dream Home lottery to support CEEH redevelopment

September 17, 2026

The Independent The Bluewater Health Foundation have kicked off this year’s Dream Home Lottery. The funds raised by the lottery for a fully-furnished $1.9 million home in Camlachie will help support the $20 million redevelopment of Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital’s emergency department and to help purchase diagnostic imaging equipment. In its 32-year history, the lottery has raised $11 million for

Read More