Another wonderful Northern Maine Fair in the books

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — My dad first brought me to the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair after I moved to The County from California back in middle school. This was when the old Cunningham school still stood, so it was quite a while ago. I’ve gone back to the fair almost every year since then, and for the past eight years or so, I’ve had the privilege of taking my own kids.

When the fair arrives, it’s a signal that summer is wrapping up. The sun is in a different position, back to school ads are running on TV and going to the fair is a way for kids to cap off the summer on a high note.

From what I remember as a kid, the fair was always packed with folks excited for truck pulls, fried dough and the thrill of trying to keep down a pound of King and Queen fries while riding the Zipper. What’s changed is, instead of me begging my dad for tickets to the rides, now I’m the victim of my kids’ uncanny ability to shoot me a wide eyed glance while pouting which leads me to opening my wallet and slapping down cash for ride tickets. Is this how my dad felt?

This year, for the first time, I just watched from the sidelines as my kids explored and went on rides. It won’t be long before my son and daughter start going to the fair without me. They’ll go with their friends. They’ll spend the whole day cruising the fairgrounds, mooing at the cows, blowing their allowance on carnival games and trying to break personal records on how many times they can ride the Spaceship before booking it at closing time. And I’ll be at home hoping they bring me some fair food like my dad used to ask me to do, “Bring back some fries, will ya?”

By the time the fair ends Saturday, we’ll be just days away from kids going back to school. The fair is a good way to measure the fun you had as a kid. Looking back, all my fair adventures are blurred into one big chapter that makes me feel lucky to have at least grown up in The County for a part of my youth. Now it’s my kids’ turn to dog-ear the coming years with their visits to the fair. I just hope they feel as lucky as I do.