For Immediate Release
June 24, 2015
Contact: Melissa
Ricker (207) 592-2126
Maine Fair
Season Starts This Week in Mapleton
Fairs
throughout the State will entertain visitors into October
AUGUSTA
– Maine Agricultural Fair Season begins this week, June 27–28, with the Maple
Meadow Fair Festival in Mapleton. Beekeeping, hops growing, horseshoeing, no till drill, pickling potatoes, horse dentistry, hay baling (with horses), live music, food vendors are just a few of the
activities you can experience at this great local farm fair in Aroostook
County. The Maple Meadow Fair
is the season’s first of twenty-six fairs that take place over the summer and
fall, concluding in October with Maine’s largest agricultural fair, the
Fryeburg Fair.
“Maine agricultural fairs
showcase our state's agricultural interests and the communities they are located
in,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “The Maple Meadow Fair Festival and other
Maine fairs held later this summer and fall, help highlight the continued
growth of Maine agriculture and its contributions to our natural resource
economy.”
Maine
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Walt
Whitcomb highlighted the continued growth of Maine agriculture demonstrated by
USDA’s latest Census of Agriculture. “Maine agriculture is growing big and
small, with more farmers and more farms in Maine since the last agricultural
census was conducted,” said Whitcomb. “The market value of Maine’s agricultural
products increased 24% in the last five years, from $617,190,000 to
$763,062,000. Maine agricultural fairs are one of many opportunities throughout
the year for young people and future farmers to learn about agriculture as a
profession.”
Quick
Facts about Maine’s 2015 Fair Season:
- Maine
has 26 licensed fairs (2 NEW FAIRS IN 2015!)
- 860,000
people visited Maine fairs
- $1.56
Million in premiums went to exhibitors, directly impacting local economies
- Most
northern fair: Northern Maine Fair – Presque Isle, ME
- Most
southern fair: Acton Fair – Acton, ME
- Largest
fair: Fryeburg Fair (304,500 visitors)
- 1,800+
pairs of professional cattle and horses pulled
- 3,000+
photographs & paintings were displayed in exhibit halls
Schedule:
June 27 - 28, Maple
Meadow Fair Festival @ Mapleton, Maine
July 2 - 5, Houlton
Fair @ Houlton, Maine
A small fair featuring
livestock, crafts, midway and state entertainment.
9 - 12, Ossipee
Valley Fair @ South Hiram,
Maine
Old-fashion fair,
unique exhibit halls, lots of livestock, midway, drag racing, animal pull
events.
17 - 19, Waterford
World's Fair @ North
Waterford, Maine
A small family
oriented agricultural fair, featuring LOCAL vendors, entertainment and
livestock. Old MacDonald's Barn full of animals to touch, outside stage with
local talent, demonstrations & livestock exhibits
23 - 26, Pittston
Fair @ Pittston,
Maine
Small, family-oriented
country fair. Midway, animal pulling events, childrens games, Strawberry
Festival.
31-Aug 9, Bangor
State Fair @ Bangor, Maine
A large family fair
featuring a midway, animal exhibits, crafts, commercial exhibits, flower
show.
24-Aug 1, Northern
Maine Fair @ Presque Isle,
Maine
Large family fair,
lots of rides and exhibits, horse pulling, harness racing, tractor pulling,
demo derby.
August
July 30 - 2, Monmouth
Fair @ Monmouth,
Maine
A small family
agricultural fair with midway, animal exhibits, crafts and animal pull
events.
4 - 9, Topsham
Fair @ Topsham, Maine
Agricultural exhibits,
animal pull events, 4-H, crafts, midway and harness racing.
13 - 22, Skowhegan
State Fair @ Skowhegan,
Maine
A large agricultural
fair featuring a huge midway, animal exhibits, crafts, commercial exhibits,
flower show, animal pull events and harness racing.
17 - 18, Maine Farm Days @ Clinton, Maine
22 - 29, Union Fair @ Union, Maine
A large family fair
famous for the annual State of Maine Wild Blueberry Festival. Large midway,
crafts, animal pull events, harness racing.
27 - 30, Piscataquis
Valley Fair @
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Agricultural exhibits,
milking parlor, home made ice cream, crafts, midway, mechanical pulling, demo
derbies, animal pulling and stage shows.
27 - 30, Acton
Fair @ Acton, Maine
Outstanding exhibits,
4-H, livestock exhibit, flower show, animal pull events, midway.
September
AUG 30 - 7, Windsor
Fair @ Windsor, Maine
A large, progressive
fair with extensive agricultural, art/crafts exhibits. Large midway, animal
pull events, harness racing and mechanical pulling.
3 - 7, Blue Hill Fair @ Blue Hill, Maine
Great country fair,
midway, exhibits, non-pari-mutuel racing, animal pull events, entertainment.
4 - 7, Springfield
Fair @ Springfield,
Maine
Stage shows, animal
and mechanical pulling, antique autos, midway, livestock exhibits.
4 - 7, Harmony Free Fair @ Harmony, Maine
Free Admission, Free
Parking, Stage Shows, Animal and Mechanical Pulling, Midway, Demo Derby,
Livestock and Exhibit Hall.
10 - 13, Clinton
Lions Agricultural Fair @ Clinton, Maine
Clinton Family
oriented agricultural fair with animal and mechanical pulling utstanding
midway, exhibit halls, stage entertainment and woodsmen contest.
11 - 13, Litchfield Fair @
Litchfield, Maine
Country fair with
large midway, agricultural exhibits, livestock, animal pull events.
Historical fair museum.
16 - 19, Oxford
County Fair @ Oxford, Maine
Livestock shows,
animal pull events, midway, crafts, exhibits, and a new harness race track.
18 - 20, New Portland Lion's
Fair @ N. New Portland, Maine
Midway, exhibit hall,
animal and mechanical pulling, crafts, livestock
exhibits, woodsmen
day, stage shows.
20 - 26, Farmington
Fair @ Farmington,
Maine
Large midway, exhibit
halls, livestock exhibits, animal pull events, harness racing, demolition
derby.
25 - 27, Common
Ground Fair @ Unity, Maine
A celebration of rural
life, demonstrations, Maine-Organic produced foods and crafts as well as
livestock exhibits.
27 - Oct 3, Cumberland
Fair @ Cumberland
Ctr, Maine
Large exhibit halls,
midway and livestock exhibits. Animal pull events and harness racing.
October
4 - 11, Fryeburg Fair @ Fryeburg, Maine
Maine's largest
agricultural fair. Beautiful setting in prime foliage season. Exhibit halls,
museum, harness racing and livestock shows.
Non-Licensed Fairs
June
5 & 6, Maine
Fiber Frolic @ Windsor
Fairgrounds
A celebration of Fiber
Art with demonstrations of spinning, animal shearing and vendors selling
their fiber items. There are also fiber animals on exhibit, animal
demonstrations and animals for sale.
Sept 12, Cornish Horsemen's
Day @ Cornish, Maine
A day devoted to the
Harness racing industry and history.
More information on Maine’s
agricultural fairs, including the Houlton Fair, can be found at: http://www.getrealmaine.com/
For
more information about the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
Forestry, go to: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/
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