A big time is coming soon. That’s right, the 166th Springfield Fair is here.
Cushing Amusements is providing the midway. And the following is a list of the rides they will be bringing: Zipper, Gravitron, Round up, Swing, Super Slide, Crazy Bus, Hampton, Scooby-Shack, Tea Cups, Go Gator, Taxi Jet, Bounce House & Bungee. They’ll also have a half dozen fun games and some special food joints too.
For you regular attendees, you already know that we have our biggest year for motorsports since the mid 1990s. But what folks aren’t always aware of is the broad mix of other, “quiet”, exhibits. Check out the pavilion as we have some talented and interesting people doing demonstrations throughout the weekend. We gave a group of spinners organized by Deb Swan, Kim McNally, a wood turning machine (and classmate of mine) from Staceyville, Hazel Oliver braiding rugs and Amy Shannon and the PVH auxiliary with an impressive quilting exhibit and display.
In addition to these live demonstrations we will also have Ware’s Outdoor Power Equipment and Husqvarna exhibiting some tools that no man (or real Maine woman) should be without. The gorgeous car for our giant prize giveaway will be on display too along with the Town of Springfield’s late 1800s era horse-drawn hearse.
Sunday will also see a number of baking contests being judged in the pavilion. The Springfield Fair pays big money to winners – $50 first place in all baking categories. If you win just one contest, you have paid for the day’s activities for the kids. Besides, just watching the judges is more fun than you’d think.
I remember Ted Greenlaw’s first year of judging. Carol said he didn’t eat for three days beforehand. He showed up to judge the pie baking with a gallon of vanilla ice cream and a thermos of coffee. He cried like a baby when he was told that he could only take a taste of each pie. I don’t think he ever really recovered.
If you wanted to continue on with another quiet section of the fair, I’d recommend a stroll down to the barns area to visit our livestock section. The kids will love petting many of
the critters and they can watch our incubation area too. We’ll have baby chicks hatching throughout the course of the weekend.
We have a nice selection of animals — all shapes and sizes. Sometimes you can go to an agricultural fair and see some wicked tense competition among the exhibitions. We kinda frown on that in Springfield. Our animal exhibitors are pretty laid back and simply enjoy being in Springfield. Even the animals are relaxed.
Life’s too short to let yer panties get in a bunch…as we used to say in Patten.
And then of course we have traditional events for you brave souls who wish to participate. Eel racing, pig scramble and mutton bustin’ are fun for kids of all ages. So, if you are looking for a whole lot of good, clean, fun, family entertainment — come to the Springfield Fair from September 2-5. You will not be disappointed — promise.
For all event times and pricing, go to www.thespringfieldfair.com.
