Bruce County will host the International Plowing Match (IPM) and Rural Expo from September 22 to 26, 2026, at Lang Farms near Walkerton.
This event will be the fourth time Bruce County has hosted the IPM, last held in 2008. It will also be the 50th anniversary since Bruce County's first match in 1976.
"This is a great celebration of rural life, of agriculture, which are staples of Bruce County and always have and always will be," said Bill Walker, media spokesperson for the IPM 2026. "What we are really finding over the years is that people want to get back, they want to be part of the industry, part of the community."
Local farmer and businessman Gord Lang will chair the executive committee, which has already started planning the event, expected to draw over 200,000 visitors. In a media release, he says one of the first orders of business is to engage the community to develop a logo and slogan.
"I challenge everyone in Bruce County to put on their thinking caps and their ideas to paper," he said. "It can be a brand-new idea, or as desired could be a culmination of favourite items included in past logos/slogans."
The committee seeks community involvement in designing a logo and slogan, with submissions due by July 1, 2024, to brucecountyipm@gmail.com. Additionally, around 1,500 volunteers are needed, and those interested can contact the same email to participate.
"It's a significant festival celebration event," said Walker. "We're looking for people to work in the parking area, to help set up booths, to direct traffic, to be information ambassadors, we're going to need a multitude of people to be the leaders and make sure it's a great celebration."
The Bruce County Plowmen’s Association has received a $100,000 start-up loan from the county to support the event, anticipated to generate a $25 million economic impact.