Fryeburg Fair

Last updated
Fryeburg Fair
Main gate of Fryeburg Fairgrounds.jpg
Main gate of the Fryeburg Fairgrounds, 2024
NicknameMaine's Blue Ribbon Classic
StatusActive
Genre Agricultural show
FrequencyAnnual
VenueFryeburg Fairgrounds
Inaugurated1851;173 years ago (1851)
Attendance225,000
Organised byWest Oxford Agricultural Society
Website https://www.fryeburgfair.org

The Fryeburg Fair is a large agricultural Fair held annually in Fryeburg in the U.S. state of Maine. The fair was first held in March 1851, and in subsequent years has grown to become the state's largest agricultural fair. The fair is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Contents

The Fryeburg Fair features livestock shows, harness racing, horse pulling, antique farm and forestry equipment displays and demonstrations, horticultural and culinary contests and displays, a petting zoo, agricultural vendor displays, live musical acts, amusement rides, and food stands. The fair, held over an eight-day period in early October, attracted over 300,000 paid attendees in 2022. [1]

History

Scene at the Fryeburg Fair Kid feeding sheep.jpg
Scene at the Fryeburg Fair

The fair was first organized in 1851 by the West Oxford Agricultural Society, which comprised farmers from ten towns in western Maine. It began in Hiram, Maine in October 1851, and moved between several towns before settling on a location in Fryeburg, eventually locating at its present site in 1885. Around 1888 the Society voted to admit the nearby towns of Conway, NH , Bartlett, NH , Jackson, NH , Chatham, NH and Eaton, NH into their group. [2] [3]

A fire ripped thru the sheep and beef cattle barns on July 10, 2018 completely destroying them and damaging 6 others. [4] The fair was still held that year with exhibitors using temporary housing for their animals. New barns were built and used for the 2019 fair. [5]

The fair was held virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. [6] In 2021, the fair hosted a vaccination clinic as part of its festivities. [7]

See also


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford County, Maine</span> County in Maine, United States

Oxford County is a county in the state of Maine, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 57,777. Its county seat is the town of Paris. The county was formed on March 4, 1805, by the Massachusetts General Court in the Maine District from northerly portions of York and Cumberland counties. It borders the Canadian province of Quebec. Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is included in the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livermore, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Livermore is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States, formerly in Oxford County, Maine. The population was 2,127 at the 2020 United States Census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area. High schools students from Livermore attend Spruce Mountain High School in neighboring Livermore Falls. Livermore is known for The Norlands, the Washburn family home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litchfield, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Litchfield is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,586 at the 2020 census. Litchfield is included in the Augusta, Maine micropolitan and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. Litchfield is included Wales, Maine micropolitan

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denmark, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Denmark is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2020 census. A number of ponds and lakes are located within the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovell, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Lovell is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,104 at the 2020 census. Lovell is the site of Kezar Lake, a resort area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham, New Hampshire</span> Town in New Hampshire, United States

Chatham is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 341 at the 2020 census. It is located in the White Mountains, and except for the southeastern corner, all of Chatham is in the White Mountain National Forest. The town is home to the Cold River national forest campgrounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Conway, New Hampshire</span> Census-designated place in New Hampshire, United States

North Conway is a census-designated place (CDP) and village in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,116 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the second-largest village within the town of Conway, after the village of Conway proper. North Conway maintains its own fire station, post office and public library, sharing its other services with Conway. The White Mountain National Forest is to the west and north. The area is home to Cathedral Ledge, Echo Lake State Park, and Cranmore Mountain Resort. North Conway is known for its large number of outlet shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conway, New Hampshire</span> Town in New Hampshire, United States

Conway is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous community in the county, with a population of 9,822 at the 2020 census, down from 10,115 at the 2010 census. The town is on the southeastern edge of the White Mountain National Forest. There are five villages in the town: Conway, North Conway, Center Conway, Redstone and Kearsarge. Additionally, it shares a portion of the village of Intervale with the neighboring town of Bartlett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 302</span> Numbered Highway in the US states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine

U.S. Route 302 is an east–west spur of U.S. Route 2 in northern New England in the United States. It currently runs 171 miles (275 km) from Montpelier, Vermont, beginning at US 2, to Portland, Maine, at U.S. Route 1. It passes through the states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saco River</span> River in New Hampshire and Maine, United States

The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of 1,703 square miles (4,410 km2) of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, 136 miles (219 km) from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000 people in thirty-five towns; and historically provided transportation and water power encouraging development of the cities of Biddeford and Saco and the towns of Fryeburg and Hiram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire Route 16</span> North-south state highway in New Hampshire, US

New Hampshire Route 16 is a 154.771-mile (249.080 km), north–south state highway in New Hampshire, United States, the main road connecting the Seacoast region to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a controlled-access toll highway known as the Spaulding Turnpike. Between Milton and Chocorua, and between Conway and Glen, it is known as the White Mountain Highway. It is known as Chocorua Mountain Highway between Chocorua and Conway and various other local names before crossing into Maine about 20 miles (32 km) south of the Canadian border. Portions of NH 16 run concurrent with U.S. Route 4 (US 4), US 202, NH 25, and US 302, and US 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fryeburg Academy</span> Private, boarding school in Fryeburg, Maine, United States

Fryeburg Academy is a private secondary school located in Fryeburg, Maine. The academy was founded in 1792, making it the oldest high school in Maine and one of the oldest private schools in the United States. Daniel Webster was one of the first administrators, teaching at the school for a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conway Scenic Railroad</span> Heritage railroad in New Hampshire, US

The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad located in North Conway, New Hampshire, owned by Profile Mountain Holdings Corp. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford Notch to Fabyan that was once part of the Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad. The Conway line is owned by Conway Scenic, and the Mountain Division is owned by the State of New Hampshire.

Eastern Slope Regional Airport, also known as Fryeburg Airport, is a public airport located three miles (4.8 km) southeast of the central business district of Fryeburg, a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. It is owned by the Town of Fryeburg. The airport is accessible from ME-5 in Fryeburg and Brownfield, Maine. It is very close to Conway, New Hampshire.

Scarborough Downs Race Track was a horse-racing track located in Scarborough, Maine, United States. It was Maine's largest race track. It was home to The Downs Club restaurant as well as a grandstand for race viewing, and includes 2 track-side lounges as well as a VIP Room. It held its final races on November 30, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hants County Exhibition</span> Canadian annual agricultural fair

The Hants County Exhibition is an annual fall fair held in Windsor, Nova Scotia. It is known for being the oldest continuously run agricultural fair in North America. It was first held on the grounds of Fort Edward beginning in 1765 and has been running continuously since 1815.The fair has been held at the nearby Hants Exhibition Arena and exhibition grounds since the land was purchased in 1949. September 2015 marked the 250th anniversary of the Hants County Exhibition. Five years later, the fair went virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Dow Gibson</span> American businessman (1882–1950)

Harvey Dow Gibson was an American businessman.

Fryeburg is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Fryeburg in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,444 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fryeburg, Maine</span> Town in the state of Maine, United States

Fryeburg is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,369 at the 2020 census. Fryeburg is home to Fryeburg Academy, a semi-private preparatory school, and the International Musical Arts Institute. The town is also site of the Fryeburg Fair, which each October attracts approximately 300,000 visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokey's Greater Shows</span> Traveling carnival company in Maine, United States

Smokey's Greater Shows is a traveling carnival midway company based in Fryeburg, Maine, United States. It provides amusement rides, games and concessions for local, county and state fairs throughout Maine. It appeared at the Fryeburg Fair for over forty years, before its partnership ended in 2022.

References

  1. https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=FryeburgFair&f=CDS-Fair_2022-10-08_Supplement.pdf
  2. "The history of Maine's Fall Blue Ribbon Classic". The Conway Daily Sun. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. Owen, Joseph (2020-06-03). "On this date in Maine history: June 3". Press Herald. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  4. https://wgme.com/news/local/fire-at-the-fryeburg-fairgrounds
  5. https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/morning-report/fryeburg-fair-opens-new-building/97-590f3a3b-38ab-41a9-b55d-5776751aa669
  6. "2020 Fryeburg Fair canceled due to coronavirus, COVID-19". newscentermaine.com. June 1, 2020. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  7. "Maine fair season draws to a close with Fryeburg finale". WABI . 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2023-09-25.


44°02′02″N70°58′12″W / 44.034°N 70.970°W / 44.034; -70.970