By Rori Bennett – Junior Reporter
The third and final day of the 144th annual Dresden Exhibition opened at 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 28 with sunny skies and hot and steamy temperatures.
Despite the heat, the fair continued with a horse and sheep show, HSRA Soap Box Derby, Rise 2 Fame talent competition, and harness racing.
The HSRA racers competed in front of constant crowds throughout the day, culminating with an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the event.
“The Soapbox Derby is owned and run by a group of volunteers,” Donald Mackenzie, one of the organizers, told the Sydenham Current.
“It is the HSRA… the Homebuilt SoapBox Racing Association. The kids range in age from five to 16 years old. There are four classes, from ‘A, being the fastest, to ‘D’ being the slowest. They average the times of each car out, and put an equal number in each class, based on that speed. It is much like drag racing – straight down a ramp to the finish line.”
Mackenzie added: “HSRA is the largest sponsor, and the local sponsors are the Dresden Kinsmen and the Dresden Agricultural Society. These sponsors provide the ramp, forklift, and the trophies. There are trophies for first place to fourth place in each division, as well as a participation award. They also have a ‘Hard Luck Trophy’, for someone with a smashed car, or someone who could not finish a race. There is also one for ‘fan favourite car’, ‘spectator favourite car’, and ‘best pit crew’.”
The Cope Amusements midway operated for the duration of Sunday, shutting down as the last of the patrons closed out the Exhibition.
Many young artists from Chatham-Kent, and other parts of Ontario performed at the Rise2Fame talent competition, on Sunday afternoon.
For results from Sunday’s shows and competitions, please follow the link below.
As results become available to the public, they will be posted on this link.
Here is some more coverage of the Dresden Ex:
– Junior Ambassador program held at Dresden Ex
– Busy day at the Dresden Exhibition (Saturday photos)
– 144th Dresden Exhibition held (Friday photos)
Here are some photos from the events on the final day of the Exhibition:
