PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Despite Mother Nature’s penchant for stormy skies, the Northern Maine Fair is in full swing, with plenty of attractions to fill the remainder of the week.
Linwood Winslow of the Fair’s board of directors said Tuesday that though rain has dampened some of the activities and the gate is “off a bit,” there have been some large spikes in attendance.
“In spite of the wet, it’s been a very good fair. We had the best Saturday crowd we’ve had in years, and Monday’s dollar day was huge. We had almost 3,400 people here last night.”
The dollar day is a new venture this year, designed to give families an affordable night at the fair. Mondays in the past have had rather low attendance, Winslow explained, so it paid off.
“The bottom line is, Aroostook County people turn out to support this fair,” he said. “And we are so grateful for the business community — without the support of the 250-some businesses that advertise and support us, we couldn’t do all that we do.”
The fair will go on through Saturday, Aug. 1, and fairgoers can enjoy many more attractions. “There are a lot of motorsports,” added Winslow, “which seem to be the main draw here in Aroostook County, including the Motocross show tonight. We have two more bracelet days, Thursday and Saturday, for the midway, and other big events are the 4-H Baby Beef Auction, the demolition derby and the lumberjack roundup.”
New this year, organizers have revamped the Agricultural Exhibition Hall and its displays to resemble a small village — an effort which Winslow said has garnered lots of positive comments.
“The feedback we’re getting has been excellent,” he said. “Part of any agricultural fair is crafts, produce, baked goods — we want to make sure we keep alive those things that are very quickly getting lost in today’s society, while keeping things new and exciting.”
And, to make sure kids get in on just what farming is all about, the Li’l Farmers at the Fair activity/exhibit for children continues to be a huge draw, he said.
Winslow praised the many volunteers, businesses and the community as a whole for supporting the fair.
“Our community is just phenomenal when it comes to the fair,” he said. “The Fair Association is incredibly thankful for the support from the community, and we hope to keep it going for another 161 years.”
For a full list of activities, check out the Northern Maine Fair on Facebook or visit northernmainefairgrounds.com.
