Summer Time Means...FAIR SEASON!
Draft Horse & Pony Show Hitches - Fryeburg Fair 2017
In case you didn't already know I am a huge supporter and lover of agricultural fairs. So when early June strikes, I know that fair season is here! A little information for those of you who don't know much about these lovely exhibitions...an agricultural fair is a place where farmers and youth proudly display and show their livestock that they raise and work with at home. There are lots of different classes and ones that are specific to 4-H Youth as well. People show all types of animals from chickens to horses and everything in between. They also exhibit their crops they grow and are judged on the quality of their crops (yes, like tomatoes, pumpkin, squash, etc). There are also baking contests/exhibits, crafting exhibits, lots of vendors selling their homemade goods, carnival games and rides, and my favorite lots and lots of FOOD.
The reason I am so passionate about supporting these fairs is because they give farmers and young up and coming farmers a platform to display their livestock that they so greatly care for, work with, and love on a daily basis. There are lots of stories out there of the abuse that these animals go through, and honestly, I know it happens, I'm not naive, but that's only a small percentage of the farmers out there. I think it's honestly a really poor display of agriculture and gives ALL farmer's a bad rap, which isn't fair. If you ever have the chance to go to a local fair, you'll see farmer's and their livestock there, many of them have catchy names, they decorate their stalls, they keep them very clean, and work really hard to care for them because when they are a show animal, the best kept (and the one with good blood lines/conformation, and many other technicalities included) is usually the winner. I've also met some really amazing exhibitors (as we call them at the fair) and learned about their life story, farm, background, etc. The passion that these people have for what they do, is what keeps me doing what I do to support our fairs to continue to support our exhibitors. But also, without exhibitors we wouldn't have any fairs.
Show Sheep - Ossipee Valley Fair 2019
So rant over, with that all being said, I really encourage everyone to take the opportunity to attend one or two of your local fairs (each one has it's own flair and is a little different!) and see what I am talking about. Maine has 24 different fairs that happen starting in June and running through early October. Below I have compiled a few of my favorite events that are at most fairs and listed all the fairs that are happening in Maine, and when for 2019.
Katherine's Favorite Fair Events/Exhibits:
Horse Pulls - These are by far my favorite and can actually be the most exciting. The horses in this event are draft horses and were bred to be working horses on the farm back in the day, or for here in Maine, also used in the logging industry. There are still exhibitors who not only participate in this event, but still work with their horses year round on their own farms or logging businesses. There are a couple of different events, there are distance pulls and timed pulls. In the distance pull the winner is the team of horses who can pull the load the furthest. Teams get disqualified as more weight is added to the sled. There are weight limits/requirements for the horses to participate in certain events. In the timed pulls, the winner is the team who can pull the furthest within a set amount of time (usually five minutes). Again teams are eliminated in each round by adding more weight to the sled. A vast majority of Maine fairs have this event and it draws a huge crowd. There are also Oxen Pulls for those cattle lovers out there!
Draft Horse & Pony Show - Sorry, but I'm a bit bias to this one. Not just because I am an equestrian and just am drawn to horse events in general, or that I help run this show at my own fair, but because these "Gentle Giants" are magnificent to watch! In this show, there are multiple classes, and the horses are in front of either a cart or wagon and there's a driver controlling them. The judge asks them to do several different tasks such as a working trot, walk, figure 8, and then while standing in a line, asks them to back, pull forward, among other things. The team that drives the best together and the driver that can control their horses the best and perform the task the best wins. The most popular event is the 8-Horse Hitch (so think Budweiser Clydesdale's). There are so many horses and we usually can fit 2-3 teams in a ring at a time, and watching the driver's handle them is just amazing.
Any 4-H Youth Show - I don't care if they are showing pigs, goats, sheep, steer, etc. I like any of these shows. It's amazing to see how these young 4-Her's display such showmanship and you can see they put a lot of work into their animals and making them look show ready and Champion prize worthy.
Craft Halls/Exhibitions - there's always something to find in these craft halls/exhibitions as far as shopping goes. From jewelry to quilts and other homemade goods. There's also a lot of commercial exhibits too, which is typically your home and garden/landscape businesses, but also some of those "As Seen On TV" vendors as well.
Food Vendors - ALL. THE. FOOD. VENDORS. I mean there are some classics like the giant turkey leg (not my go-to but if it's yours, got for it!), fried dough (or funnel cake), Giant Pretzels, Candied Apples, Kettle Corn, Sausage Sandwiches, Blooming Onions, my goodness the list goes on. I personally enjoy eating on the fairgounds when I visit, but also because of how large my fair is, there are options aplenty. I have to basically do a detox the week after, but it's SO WORTH IT.
Crepes for breakfast - Topsham Fair 2019