Photo above shows the Tractor Park at the 2023 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo. Photo by Milton Young
The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) is coming to the Niagara Region this fall, providing a unique opportunity to showcase the community’s agricultural diversity and natural beauty.
The annual event is hosted in a different community each year, with this year’s edition the first time in almost 100 years that the Niagara communities will play host. The last time an IPM was hosted in Niagara was 1926.
Renate McGillivray, one of two local co-chairs for the event, said that the community is very excited to be having this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invite visitors to their region. “We have a lot to offer in this part of the province, and we couldn’t be happier to be hosting this year’s event.”
The IPM was created by the Ontario Plowmen's Association in 1913 to showcase farmers' passion for the soil, agriculture, and rural living. Today, it continues to do that and is the largest event of its kind in Canada, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Plowing—whether by the old-fashioned horse-drawn plows or tractors using both traditional and modern, high-tech plows—remains a key feature of the five-day event, but in its over 100-year history, the overall experience has evolved into a massive rural expo where the main goals continue to be agriculture education and an entertaining experience.
From Tuesday, September 16, to Saturday, September 20, the West Niagara Fairground property will transform into the IPM Tented City—featuring daily entertainment, animal exhibits, demonstrations, local artisans, farm and rural goods and services, a rodeo, and, of course, the plowing—featuring both tractor and horse-plowing competitions.
Plans are well underway in anticipation of the mid-September event, but local organizers said there are still many opportunities to get involved, whether as a participant, sponsor, or volunteer.
“This is a once-in-a-generation event for our community, and we want to make sure everyone who wants to be involved is,” McGillivray noted.
To find out how you can get involved as a volunteer, sponsor, or exhibitor, be sure to visit www.plowingmatch.org/IPM2025 or follow on Facebook (2025 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo).