HOULTON, Maine – The fields have been cut, the schedules are out, cooking contest hopefuls are preparing recipes and organizers are pulling together last minute details for the 2024 Houlton Agricultural Fair.
The gates and midway open at 2 p.m. Friday, July 19, a date change from the traditional July 4 opening. The fair runs through Sunday, July 21.
According to fair association organizers, the new date will make it more accessible for attendees and participants.
“The Houlton Fair has been a beloved tradition in our community for many years, and we are always seeking ways to improve and adapt to the needs and desires of our changing community,” said Fair President Colby Dunn.
Holding the fair around the Fourth of July posed scheduling and financial challenges for organizers, including making it a five-day event some years, Dunn said.
Additionally, it was more difficult to get volunteers because they were already committed to independence day celebrations and activities. Not to mention the several Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce events like Midnight Madness and the July 4 parade that coincided with the fair.
Houlton’s first fair was in 1847 and it has continued in many different forms since then. In the mid-1800s the Maine Press Association invited state editors to the Houlton and Presque Isle fairs, increasing interest in the County.
This year’s new schedule is packed from morning till night with traditional favorites like the cooking contests, exhibit hall and midway, as well as some new vendors and events.
Highway 207, a Midnight Madness favorite band, is slated to start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, in the Beer Garden.
The Pine Tree Mini Tractor Pullers and the Demolition Derby return this year.
The tractor pullers will be on the tractor pulling track from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 19 and the Demo Derby is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, registration at 2 p.m.
New this year is the 2024 Egg Drop Contest with money prizes. Each contestant will design and build a reusable, free falling container that does not weigh more than five pounds. It must fit into a 12-inch X 12-inch X 12-inch box that will hold an egg and be dropped by officials.
According to organizers, the container cannot be made out of glass and cannot pose a safety danger to officials or observers.
First prize is $100, second, $75 and third, $50. There will also be $25 prizes for most creative, most scientific and most devastating crash.
The fair is located next to Houlton Middle High School. There is a $10 gate fee, parking is free. Midway games, and food are not included in the gate fee. The fair wraps up on Sunday at 10 p.m.
