It was one of the most popular festivals in southern Ontario,[1] and marked the beginning of the harvest fair season in the Greater Toronto Area.

[4] In the late 19th century, farmers would come to the community to acquire binder twine with which they could bind sheaves of wheat.

Charlie Shaw, a resident and owner of a hardware store,[5] offered food and entertainment to those farmers,[6] establishing the Binder Twine Night festival[5] which was held annually until his death in the 1930s.

The festival was organized and operated entirely by volunteers, which once included author Pierre Berton,[8] a famous resident of the village.

Berton's wife Janet was an executive of the organizing committee from 1967 until 1996, during which time she published 16 booklets about the history of Kleinburg.