MIDDLEFIELD — It is already fair season in New England and one of the first out of the gates, starting Friday, is the three-day Middlefield Fair with food, crafts, live entertainment, agricultural exhibits and everything else you expect from a good old-fashioned country fair.
“We have so much happening this year. Our entertainment is outstanding and that is really exciting for us and our fairgoers, as well as our many other big favorites such as the horse, oxen, and truck pulls. And something really fun to watch out for, there will be a giant turtle roaming the fairgrounds escorted by the folks from Bubba’s Snakes and Reptiles,” said Maureen Basile, Middlefield Fair president.
Entertainment this year features internationally renowned psychic medium Lisa Lanno, who will help audience members connect with loved ones who have passed. She will appear at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage, followed on Sunday at 2 p.m. by Ray Guillemette Jr. who will bring his acclaimed Ray of Elvis and King Country show to the fairgrounds. Matt York will be singing up a storm on Sunday morning and the sounds of fiddles will fill the air later in the afternoon.
The fair begins on Friday at 4 p.m. with an opening ceremony and flag raising followed by a ribbon cutting for the fair’s new museum and art barn.
“We have been trying to improve the fairgrounds step by step with major improvements this year. Thanks to the State Department of Agriculture, we were able to purchase a prefab building to house our Farm Museum with its antique farming equipment and utensils women once used to cook for the family in days gone by,” Basile said. “We were also able to secure a gift which helped pay for another building we are calling our Art Barn, which will feature all of the photography entries once housed in the Exhibit Hall,” Basile said.
The nation’s earliest fairs were rooted in agriculture and organized as a way to introduce farmers to new animal breeds and agricultural innovations — and exhibit halls grew to become an important part of fairs over the years.
“Exhibit halls in the early days were a place where people in the community could show off their agricultural skills and domestic talents. Competitions back then took on a more serious tone as compared to today’s friendlier competitions, where both adults and youth can enter in many categories from flowers to baked goods, fruits to vegetables, arts and crafts to sewing, canning and an endless list of projects,” said Sara Foley, superintendent of the Exhibit Hall and a member of the fair’s board.
“Today, our Exhibit Hall, which features some 300 entries or more, is the fair’s biggest building and central hub. It is the first thing fairgoers see as they enter the fair and is visited by most fairgoers throughout our three days,” she added.
Friday night’s big attraction is the annual Ken Boisseau Memorial Diesel Truck Pull beginning at 7 p.m. Fairgoers can also dust off their boots and join Stompin’ Boots at 5:30 p.m. for an evening of line dancing and lessons, or have a seat for fair bingo at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, highlights include gas-powered trucks taking their turn on the track alongside oxen pulls, which are located across the fairgrounds in the animal draw ring. Other activities and events throughout the day include the Massachusetts State Police K-9 demo; a Kid’s Zone full of old-fashioned games for a fee to play and a variety of free activities, Balloon Ben, free face painting; and the Middlefield Fair Car, Truck and Tractor Show. For those on the competitive side, there are family fun games at noon including children’s chicken shucking, lady’s skillet tosses and men’s chainsaw throwing.
For a final day of fun on Sunday, there is a cattle show, garden tractors will be on the mechanical pull track and the horses can be found in the animal draw ring. Balloon Ben is back as well as free face painting, another exciting demonstration by the Massachusetts State Police K-9, and a crosscut saw competition.
In addition to the Kid’s Zone, the fair promises more fun for younger fairgoers including a petting zoo, obstacle course and bounce houses set up by the National Guard, kid’s pie eating contest, and children’s entertainer Terry LaBerry on Saturday.
You don’t have to look very far for something scrumptious to eat inside the fair. From one end to the other, fairgoers will find traditional fair foods such as fried dough, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, ice cream, sausages, corn dogs, popcorn, cotton candy, candy apples, kettle corn, and apple fritters.
If you are an early riser who skips breakfast to get to the fair when it first opens, the Fair Food Booth on Saturday offers something quick to grab, while Sunday morning features a traditional all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast served plain or with Middlefield’s own blueberries.
For more hearty meals, the fair’s dining hall on Saturday will be a smorgasburg including shepherd’s pie, baked beans, mac and cheese, pasta and sauce, veggie bake, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, rolls and a beverage. Sunday will feature a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of turkey and all the fixings.
The Middlefield Fair, which attracts more than 2,000 fairgoers each year, is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in the nation. The event dates back to 1856 when the Highland Agricultural Society was established for the purpose of holding an agricultural fair in Middlefield.
The Middlefield Fair, located on 7 Bell Road, opens Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. Gates close at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for seniors 65 and older. Veterans and children under 12 are free.
For more information and a full schedule of all events and times, visit the fair’s website.
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