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County Fairs in Every Corner

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Posted by: Dan Shaw
Posted on: Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Comments

I love the Blandford fair. It is utterly uncorrupted and completely wonderful. Lunch in the dining hall filled with row upon row of weathered Windsor chairs is worth the price of admission alone. The scale of the fair is much smaller than the fancier events in CT, but that makes it all the more approachable, endearing and fun. A low-tech ride down the giant slide on a potato sack is one of life’s great pleasures. And we never leave without watching several rounds of the horse pulls at the far end of the field. This is a peek at a (sadly) vanishing part of America that I look forward to every year.

Posted By: L Grace from NYC and E. Otis on 2008 08 17

There is nothing “fancy” about the Goshen Fair as far as I can recall except, perhaps, the hen house that is filled with exotic breeds—the kind of birds that are kept in aviaries, not chicken coops, when they are not in competition at an agricultural fair.

Posted By: Dan Shaw from Falls Village, CT on 2008 08 18
URL: http://www.ruralintelligence.com

True, Goshen isn’t fancy, per se. I guess I’m just thinking that the buildings are in better condition and the displays and crowds are more numerous. Plus, it’s “world famous,“ no? I like the Goshen fair, too. I’m just a bit more sentimental about the Blandford fair since it’s the one I grew up attending and I’m a bit of an overbearing booster for our sometimes overlooked corner of the world.

Posted By: L Grace from NYC and E. Otis on 2008 08 18

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Full Article

Rural Intelligence Road TripsIf you’re a really serious locovore and want to understand the farm life, you should attend one of the agricultural or county fairs that are rites of late summer in our region.  Sure, there are carnival rides for the kids and more types of fried food than you ever imagined, but the heart of the fair remains the animal and agricultural competitions and exhibitions—the sheep shearing, tractor pulls and giant zucchini contests. The participants are the men, women and children who control the fate of our region’s future in their calloused hands. Cheer them on.
 
 
Rural Intelligence Road Trips

Columbia County Fair
Chatham, NY
August 27 - September 1
 
The Blandford Fair
Blandford, MA
August 29 - September 1
 
Goshen Fair
Goshen, CT
August 30 - September 1
 
Dutchess County Fair
Rhinebeck, NY
August 19 - 24
 
Cummington Fair
Cummington, MA
August 21 -  24