Manitoba Provincial Heritage Site No. 102

Carberry Agricultural Society Display Building
Carberry Fairgrounds,
Carberry

Agricultural fairs were common events in Manitoba communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They allowed people to view agricultural products and machinery and were an important venue for social interaction. Major fairs were held in places like Brandon, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg, while modest operations were annually established in smaller places. In some cases communities invested in their fairs by constructing permanent display buildings. These could be rather fanciful creations, befitting their specialized function. One popular form was the octagon, an eight-sided structure that was both eye-catching externally and spacious internally.

The Carberry Agricultural Society Display Building, constructed in 1893, is an excellent example of this building type. The octagonal building has an interior that retains all its original construction elements, including ornate hand carved display shelves. It has been in continuous use by the Carberry Agricultural Society.

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