Celebrate autumn with a family trip to a traditional New England county fair. These annual celebrations of agriculture and country life are filled with sights and activities for the whole family to enjoy, from admiring prize pumpkins and meeting live animals to witnessing horse shows, listening to country music and dancing, and doing craft demonstrations. Most fairs also have carnival rides and hands-on activities for kids.
Travel to Maine to combine foliage viewing with stops at some of the country’s oldest agricultural fairs. Maine’s largest is The Fryeburg Fair (Oct. 4–11), which dates back to 1851 and was the inspiration for E.B. White’s children’s classic, Charlotte’s Web. Watch sheep dog trials, pig scrambles and harness racing, and visit the craft center and Farm Museum.
New this year is the Agricultural Discovery Center, with hands-on activities, interactive displays and scavenger hunts for kids. Tap your feet to country music and take the kids to the big arcade with carnival rides.
Families with gardens and those who love all things handmade shouldn’t miss Common Ground Country Fair (Sept. 25–27) in Unity. Celebrating its 50th year, Common Ground is a festival of rural living, sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Plan a whole day just to see all the exhibits and to shop with vendors of beautiful handmade crafts. An entire building is devoted to wool arts — spinning, weaving, knitting, felting and more.
The exhibition hall displays of local fruits and vegetables are breathtaking, and other highlights include a draft horse show, sheepdog trials, stoneworker demonstrations, yoga and reiki sessions, and old-time country dancing.
Other states in northern New England follow these same fair traditions. In New Hampshire, fall brings Hopkinton State Fair (Sept. 3–7), Deerfield Fair (Oct. 1–4) and Sandwich Fair (Oct. 10–12). In Vermont, look for Guilford Fair (Sept. 5–7), Orleans County Fair (Sept. 10–13) and The Tunbridge World’s Fair (Sept. 17–20).
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