Handmade ‘St.Lawrence Seaway’ quilt to be raffled off at 170th Spencerville Fair

The Spencerville Fair, one of Eastern Ontario’s oldest agricultural fairs, is offering fair-goers a chance to win a one-of-a-kind handmade quilt through its annual quilt raffle, marking the highly-anticipated lead-up to the fair’s 170th anniversary.

Every year, the Spencerville Fair hosts a competition for the quilt block contest based on a predetermined theme. Quilting lovers in the community and local artisans complete their own quilt blocks,  showcasing their unique talent and creativity.

Eric Connell, 1st Vice President of the Spencerville Fair, told Brockvilleist, “The quilt blocks are then entered and judged at the fair, and the blocks are donated to the fair for us to make the quilt. We have a dedicated volunteer who then spends the winter assembling the quilt, putting it together to make the masterpiece.”

The quilt is then raffled off the following year to members of the community to raise money for a worthy cause. Crafted from quilt blocks submitted by last year’s exhibitors, the current quilt reflects the 2024 theme of St. Lawrence Seaway, which will be raffled off at the fair from September 11-14, 2025.

Connell told Brockvilleist that this quilting raffle has been a tradition within the Spencerville community for decades. “The original idea was to help raise money for the fair, and in recent years, we have dedicated the funds from the fundraiser to go directly to the children’s entertainment that is happening around the fair.”

This quilt is made by the community, for the community, with a new theme to look forward to every year. Connell explained, “This year’s quilt is based on the St. Lawrence Seaway and features all the different perspectives of the seaway over the 170 years the fair has been around. Next year, the quilt will be based on Trees of Ontario.”

Tickets are now available through any Spencerville Fair Director, with prices set at $2 each or three tickets for $5. Those who don’t know a director personally can request tickets by contacting info@spencervillefair.ca. The lucky winner of the raffle will be announced on Sunday, September 14, 2025, during the final day of the fair.

Quilters interested in contributing a block to next year’s project are encouraged to visit the “Fancy Work” section of the fair’s website for more details.