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08/15/2018 07:00 AMFor the young, and young at heart, there is the anticipation of cotton candy at the fairs coming up later this summer and into the fall on the Connecticut shoreline and Connecticut River valley, starting with the Hamburg Fair on Friday, Aug. 17 and ending with the Durham fair on Sept. 30.
We’ll be pulled in by the smell of the fried dough, with cinnamon sugar or sauce. The ferris wheel will preside over several fairs, shining at night, drawing us into the midway packed with the games where no one ever wins that huge stuffed pink unicorn except that one person gleefully lugging it around to the envy of all of her friends (leaving the rest of us wondering where she’s going to keep it once she gets home).
We’ll go for the entertainers, some of them known for today’s top hits, and many of them famous for yesterday’s. And the shopping will range from steel-toed boots and bright orange safety vests at some fairs to shiny, sparkling costume jewelry at others. The canine athletes from the Marvelous Mutts Stunt Dog Troupe will be flipping and flying around at the North Haven Fair. Robinson’s Racing Pigs will be attending the Chester Fair, propelled forward through the course by their desire wfor an Oreo cookie. The highwire artistry of the world-famous Flying Wallendas will thrill spectators at the Guilford Fair. And contenders who likely have been looking forward to this all year will, finally, get to show off their expertise at the Haddam Neck Fair’s skillet-throwing contest.
That’s all fine, says Guilford Fair volunteer Larry Kalbfeld, one of the hundreds and hundreds of our Connecticut neighbors who work year-round on the fairs to pack all of this fun into a weekend. But he says to remember exactly what is at the heart of it all, and that is the cattle, and poultry, and sheep and goats. The vegetables, the baking, the canning. The flowers, and even some of the arts and crafts, and the needlework. All of this bounty of the earth and sea, displayed in the exhibition area and arenas, showcases Connecticut’s authentic agricultural roots, that which helped sustain the area’s earliest inhabitants who settled the area, which in turn helped those coming later make their fortunes when they pitched in with their hard work, grit, and Yankee ingenuity.
“We have a large midway that I, personally, don’t push,” Kalbfeld says. “It pushes itself. I like to talk about the horse pull, the oxen pull. These are events that have grown out of history, showing off the powerful animals that used to plow the fields as work animals. When you see these things, it takes you back into time. Teams come from all over to compete. I like to focus on things like that.”
The Guilford Clam
This year the Guilford Fair will focus not only on mighty oxen and horses, it will also celebrate some of the tiniest and tastiest inhabitants of this shoreline town.
Consider the Guilford clam.
This is an account penned specially for the fair by Joel Helander, a lineal descendant of Guilford’s earliest settlers who began his study of the town’s history when he was a teenager.
“The Guilford clam, large in size and appetizing in flavor, is still hard to rival. Our muddy river bottoms and flats—not sandy—are said to contribute to their quality. A 1905 article in The Hartford Courant refers to ‘the famous Guilford clam...[that] has adorned the menu card of many a famous hotel and club, and the epicure today looks with an eager eye over the list of delicacies at his favorite hotel or club for the dish that won his heart years ago.’”
His account also notes that Guilford clams were “cried in the streets of New Haven” in the 1880s, being singled out for their desirability. “The late Kenneth R. Lee, a Guilford native, reminisced (1975) that ‘barrels of oysters and clams would be lined up at the railroad station for express shipment to New York.’”
The organizers of the fair are still in the process of determining how to present this information at the fair, and Helander says he’s really interested to find out how the “Bounty of the Sea” theme will be incorporated in the Guilford Parade that precedes the fair. But he says it’s a perfect way to celebrate the town’s history.
He wonders if, someday, Guilford tomatoes should also be singled out for special attention.
“Just like Guilford clams, Guilford tomatoes are too a delicacy,” he says.
Goats, Apples, and Oranges
Goats have, for whatever reason, become increasingly popular in recent years, making frequent appearances not only all over the Internet, but also in places as unlikely as yoga classes.
And while that’s fine, says Guilford Fair volunteer Tim Francis, he wants to make sure goats get their proper due at the Guilford Fair. So this year he has added a meat goat class to the fair, separating it from the dairy goat class.
The reason for that is simple, he says: Meat goats are becoming more and more popular. He noticed that in recent years, when they started show up in increasing numbers to compete alongside the dairy goats.
“People brought dairy goats and meat goats. But you can can’t judge meat goats and dairy goats together. Meat goats are for meat. And dairy goats are for dairy. It’s like comparing apples and oranges,” he says. “You can’t place a dairy goat over a meat goat. It just doesn’t happen.”
This year all goats will be judged against their peers. He says those attending the competition will be able to tell the difference between the two pretty quickly. Meat goats typically have horns. Meat goats are typically shorter and stockier than dairy goats. Dairy goats are typically taller and longer.
It’s clear that Sullivan, who has been grazing goats for 20 years, and working as a volunteer at the Guilford Fair for 15, knows his subject matter and cares deeply about sharing it in a way that is both appropriate and interesting for fair goers.
“Goats have grown in popularity and now is the time to break these two out,” he says, adding that he’s not entirely sure what led to the current goat craze, but he does get that it’s a thing.
“I honestly don’t know why,” he says, “but more people are getting into goats.”
Judging in the goat shows will take place Saturday, Sept. 22 after the parade, so probably around 12:30 p.m. Dairy goats will go first.
Hops and Apples, a Good Fit
New at the Durham Fair this year is a Connecticut Craft Beer and Hard Cider Tasting tent, says volunteer Debbie Huscher, who is the marketing coordinator for the fair.
“This is an opportunity for our legal-aged fairgoers to sample the work of our local craftsmen,” Huscher says. “This is brand new for us. Technically, we are a dry fair, but we have always had a focus on Connecticut agriculture. A couple of years ago, we got involved with Connecticut wine and wine sampling, and educational seminars. And then there has been such a growth in the craft beer movement, and public interest and intrigue has grown along with it. And hops and apples, that supports local agriculture. So it’s a good natural fit.”
Thimble Island Brewing Co. and Stony Creek Brewery, both of Branford, will be among the craft brewers participating.
Asked for other highlights, and whether she could recommend some favorites, Huscher took a long pause and a deep breath. There are more than 10,000 exhibits. There’s a demolition derby. Animal pulls. An astounding array of food. How to choose?
“Oooooooooh. That’s a good question,” she says. “Oh my gosh.”
She agrees the choices at a major fair like Durham’s can be overwhelming at times, and that a section on the fair’s website will be dedicated to helping people make choices about parking and planning.
“It’s a big fair. And we are a small town, with one way in and one way out,” she says. “Our website FAQ will have tips on when you should get here, and parking lots, and how to make the maneuvering a lot easier.”
She adds that the detailed schedule, along with maps, will allow fair goers to plan their day.
“Just go with your interests,” she says. “Some people like to spend their whole day going through exhibits. My husband, he wants to go shopping. And my kids head straight for the midway. It’s big, but it’s definitely manageable.”
As for her favorite part?
“It’s just as a Durham resident, just being involved and seeing this all come to fruition. All the hard work through the years. Seeing the kids line up when I’m dressed as Marigold the Cow,” she says.
Yes, after all of her hard work all year long, she actually dons the Marigold the Cow suit during the fair.
“We all take turns,” she says. “My kids will dress up. There are other students who do it as well.”
She also has a soft spot for the cows, and for the tender care given to the cows by the farmers who come in with them, who often sleep with the cows during the fair.
“The love for the animals is just so amazing,” she says. “And for all of the non-profits. For many of them, like my son’s football organization, this is the biggest fundraiser of the year. So all that money goes right back into the community.”
Smaller Scale, Intimate Size
For Sarah Wadle, who is working on the relatively small and intimate Hamburg Fair, meeting and working with the dedicated volunteers is the highlight.
“The smaller scale and intimate size does make it a perfect venue for families with small children or people looking for a more relaxed setting, while still offer many fair favorites including plenty of rides, children’s games, animals, exhibits, and traditional fair food,” she says. “Another aspect that has been drawing the crowds to the Hamburg Fair is the line-up of top-notch local live music. This year, there is a local food vendor – Hannah Morrison, a high school student who will be returning for her third year to sell ‘Meatballs on a Stick’ and will use all sales proceeds as a donation to Dog Days. She is also raising awareness of the organization and cause.”
This year the fair will honor Jack Tiffany, “a cherished community member” who passed away in January.
“He proudly lived in Lyme his whole life and made it his mission to improve the farm and make Lyme a great place in which to live,” Wadle says.
Wadle points to Lois Evankow, 88, as an example of the kind of person you’ll meet when you attend or work on a fair. She’s been attending the fair since the early 1950s when a friend invited her to the Sunday horse show. She began volunteering in 1970, serving pies and coffee, working on the Handcraft Exhibit, and on the Craft Exhibit.
Wadle says Evankow considers it the big party of the year, and that she can’t wait to have some lemonade and fried dough.