Printer Friendly Version - Cornhole, Christine Ohlman, The Flying Wallendas and More Coming Up at Late Summer, Early Fall Fairs and Festivals

People who like to play cornhole, an increasingly popular backyard game involving bean bags and a board with a hole in it, might want to consider getting in a little extra practice before Thursday, Aug. 6, when North Branford’s Potato and Corn Festival kicks off.

That’s because, when it comes to cornhole, the 14th annual PoCo Fest, as the fair is affectionately know, is taking it to the next level.

“We will be having a cornhole tournament,” said Rosanne Krajewski, the festival coordinator with the North Branford Recreation Department. She laughed. “It does look like fun. I guess it’s a popular thing these days.”

Fun is a word that keeps coming up in conversations with Krajewski and others who are in the final stages of planning the fairs up and down Connecticut’s shoreline, central Connecticut, and the lower Connecticut river valley, for the end of the summer and beginning of the fall. There are other common themes as well, including pride in Connecticut’s dairy and farming roots, which remains the primary focus of the many agricultural fairs, large and small, coming up. The organizers also point with satisfaction to the benefits that accrue to non-profits and other groups that participate in the fairs as fundraisers that in turn benefit people in the community.

Frank Gentilesco, a member of the East Haven Fall Fair’s executive committee, said balancing the big acts like Tony Orlando, with the small pleasures of supporting local non-profits and businesses makes the hard work of preparing for the fair worthwhile.

“I love both the entertainment, and the food,” he said. “And it’s important that we give space to a lot of our non-profits and school groups. It’s one of the biggest fundraisers of the year. And we provide businesses the opportunity for exposure. It’s a little bit of something for everyone.”Thanks to the hard work of those planners, some of them town employees and many of them volunteers working year round, here is some of the fun in the works:

Branford, Saturday, Aug. 8 on the Branford Green: A free all-day music festival with proceeds going to the non-profit Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter attracted almost 6,000 people last year. More are expected this year for the fest, from noon to 8 p.m. where there will be four bands, 50 vendors, five food trucks, children’s activities, a Woofstock Hippie Dog Costume Contest, and a Woof Walk, among other activities planned. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BranfordWoofstock/

At the PoCo in North Branford from Thursday, Aug. 6 to Sunday, Aug. 9, there also will be a spectacular fireworks display on Saturday night, free bands, a car show, a motorcycle show, and a cow chip raffle (more on that later, it is what it sounds like), among many, many attractions. The cornhole tournament will be a Round Robin format, single elimination, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. For more information (and to register for the tournament), visit www.nbpotatofest.com.

Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9. First Church of Christ Congregational in Clinton, will have its famous dip supper, live entertainment, craft vendors, a lobster dinner prepared by Lenny & Joe’s, and a tag sale. For more information, visit http://firstchurchclinton.org.

Guilford, Saturday, Aug. 14 and Sunday, Aug. 16: a one-stop tour of Connecticut wineries. The following wineries and vineyards plan to participate: Bishop’s in Guilford, DiGrazia in Brookfield, Jonathan Edwards in North Stonington, Hopkins in New Preston, Sunset Meadows in Goshen, Paradise Hill in Wallingford, Sharpe Hill in Pomfret, and Jones in Shelton. For more information, visit www.shorelinewinefestival.com.

Friday, Aug. 21, Saturday Aug. 22, Sunday, Aug. 23 in Lyme. Rock and roller Christine Ohlman will bring her beehive hairdo, her vast collection of sequins and rhinestones, and her trademark rhythm and blues style to Lyme on Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Other features include a horse pull, an oxen pull, and a powder puff game, along with a youth horn band. All three days there will be carnival rides, midway games, clowns with balloons, snacks and food concessions, pony rides, and exhibits for animals, crafts, fruits, and vegetables. For more information, visit www.hamburgfair.org.

Clinton, Saturday, Aug. 22. There will be fireworks! And also food, family fun, and bands. Check in with the Clinton Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for updates by visiting www.facebook.com/pages/Clinton-Chamber-of-Commerce.

Organizers for this fair in Chester, Friday, Aug. 28 to Sunday, Aug. 30 have booked bands from noon to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The current lineup, subject to change, includes blues band Say Whaat on Friday, the Galvanized Jazz Band on Saturday afternoon, UHF on Saturday night (rock, funk, reggae, and blues), and, on Sunday, Good Night Blue Moon, a New England Americana band. Other attractions include a frog jumping contest, a dog agility demonstration, maple sugaring, and an invitation-only antique tractor pull. For more information, visit www.chesterfair.org.

From Thursday, Sept. 10 to Sunday, Sept. 13, the fair will feature the rockabilly band Four Barrel Billy. Herman’s Hermits, starring Peter Noone, is playing Saturday, and on Sunday, there will be Northeast Wrestling, with a meet and greet scheduled with Mickie James. Other attractions include a hula hoop contest, a kids’ pie-eating contest, and a ladies and kids skillet toss, to determine who can throw a skillet the furthest. For more information, visit www.northhaven-fair.com.

From Friday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 13. The ‘Fest will feature performer Tony Orlando on Saturday night. There also will be a food court, game tents, small rides for children, a craft fair, a teen center and a business expo. The Classic Car Show, a yearly crowd favorite, will also return on Sunday, Sept. 13. For the latest updates, visit www.townofeasthavenct.org.

From Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20 the fair will once again feature the Flying Wallendas, a family act known for walking tightropes and three-level pyramids. Country music star Craig Campbell will also perform, along with illusionist David Garrity, known for producing objects and people out of thin air, passing through solid objects, and making audience members float. For more information, visit guilfordfair.org.

From Sept. 24 to Sept. 27, has a wealth of entertainers booked for the main stage, including Martina McBride, Craig Morgan, and Confederate Railroad. Rounding out the weekend will be Mutts Gone Nuts, a canine comedy act, and, in the Redneck Arena, a bowling ball shot putt competition, a beast beard competition, a mud pit tug of war, a hot wings eating contest, and a backseat drivers contest. For more information, visit www.durhamfair.com.

The 72nd annual North Haven Fair was held on on Thursday, Sept. 4. Sept. 5,Sept. 6 and Sunday, Sept. 7 at the North Haven Fairgrounds on Washington Avenue. The event included rides, craft exhibits, carnival games, food vendors, a beer garden, a horse drawing competition, live music and more. Jason Piptone balances his flaming torches infront of a captivated crowd.

The Chester Fair -Jacob Norman feeds the goats with some enouragement from Kristen Wells,