Maine Fair Season Starts This Week in Mapleton

June 24, 2015

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/

For more information contact: Melissa Ricker at: 207-592-2126