Printer Friendly Version - From Chocolate-Covered Bacon to Laser Light Shows, Shoreline Fairs Are Back and Better Than Ever

Want to win at the water gun race? Here’s a tip: Watch a few games first and see if there is a best gun. Pick it, focus, and keep a steady hand.File photo by Susan Lambert/The Source

The largest pumpkin in the state, chocolate-covered bacon, a demolition derby, doe-eyed calves, and a fantastical laser light show: What do all these things have in common? You can see them at the centennial anniversary of Connecticut’s largest, all-volunteer agricultural fair, the Durham Fair, which is held each year on the last weekend of September.

Each year during the fair, more than 200,000 visitors from all over the world descend upon the quiet town of Durham, population 7,300. The fun, festivities, and bumper-to-bumper traffic put the town’s focus squarely on the fair, which for some of the volunteers is a year-round endeavor.

It’s just one of several fairs along the Connecticut shoreline and in the Connecticut River Valley, from the Hamburg Fair, which starts this coming weekend, to the Portland Fair in October. In between are fairs in Chester, Haddam Neck, North Haven, and Guilford.

The Durham fair runs from Thursday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 29. The fair, which began on the town green as a community celebration of agricultural bounty, is so popular and iconic that Regional School District 13 schools declare that Friday a no-school Durham Fair Day. Though it’s celebrating its centennial in 2019, it started in 1916, skipping four years (three due to World War II and the other due to the 1938 New England hurricane).

This year the fair has lots planned for its anniversary including its first laser light show.

“We wanted to do something special, but we didn’t want to disrupt the animals, so instead of fireworks, we decided on a huge, state-of-the-art laser light show to celebrate with, which will be held on both Friday and Saturday night,” says Durham Fair Coordinator of Marketing Debbie Huscher.

Another addition to this year’s fun is the art of professional pumpkin carver Richard Kaiser. He will carve intricate pumpkin faces into some of the extra-large pumpkins that make their way to the fair each year.

“Our fair is always a lot of fun,” says Huscher. “But this year is really very special to us. Celebrating 100 years is a big deal. This fair represents the fabric of our community; we have over 1,700 volunteers at fair time and we help anywhere from 25 to 35 area non-profits raise between $350,000 to $400,000. That money goes back into the community, so our fair is not just a good time; for many non-profits this event is their largest fund raiser of the year.”

Huscher also pointed out that since 1966 the fair has awarded more than $500,000 in academic scholarships.

“The fair is a place where people from all walks of life can come and get up close with a wide array of over 1,000 different farm animals and ask their owners questions about them. That’s why and how the fair started, as a way for farmers to show off their prize crops and animals, and that’s still how we want it to be,” says Huscher, who says her favorite part of the fair is the more than 10,000 exhibits, which are housed in six different barns.

She adds, “We have a little bit of everything, from baked goods, special collections, quilts, photography, and more. The fair really is an amazing event.”

The organizers strive for something for everyone, with the midway and nightly entertainment that this year includes the Little River Band, as well as motorized events including the demolition derby, monster truck rally, truck pulls, figure eights, and tractor pulls. There also will be horse, pony and oxen pulls, the bunny hop contest, the animal costume parade, and a wide variety of food vendors offering everything from traditional corn dogs and lime rickies to huge, fresh-made donuts and crowd-favorite hot apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream.

“Even though the fair is so big and offers so much, in the end it really boils down to what all fairs are about: community, volunteerism and home,” says Huscher.

Fair lovers can go fair hopping continuously from now until the beginning of October. Below are the fairs along the Connecticut shoreline and in the Connecticut River valley listed in chronological order:

This intimately sized fair is an easy to navigate, family-friendly event that showcases may agricultural traditions while highlighting top local talent and entertainment. Visitors can enjoy Milestone Midway Carnival rides and games; the Grange Hall coffee, grill, and snack bar; food concessions; pony rides; and entries and exhibits for farm, animal, crafts, fruits, vegetables, and more. Kids’ games are held on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the horse and oxen pulls are on Saturday and Sunday. This year the hometown amphitheater will feature music favorites such as Charlie Marie and Nashville Drive, the MusicNow Nightingale’s Showcase, the shoreline group A Completely Different Note featuring Braiden Sunshine, and Chris MacKay and the Toneshifters. Sunday afternoon brings on something new with The Pickin’ Party and concludes with the tradition of the The Bristol Old Time Fiddlers.

“Everyone knows everyone pretty much and they come to the fair to see friends, catch up after summer; and have a great time together supporting community,” says Nancy McGee; a member of the Chester Fair Board of Directors.

This year some fair highlights include a Saturday visit from 10:30 a.m. to noon by A Place Called Hope, the non-profit bird and raptor rehabilitation center in Killingworth, for an educational seminar on Connecticut owls.

“Every year the fair incorporates a new educational seminar as part of its line-up,” says McGee. “In the past there have been seminars on bees and bee keeping as well as bats and how to build a bat house in your backyard. That presentation was so popular that we are bringing it back again this year, to talk more about bats and how important they are to our ecosystem.”

The fair will also have its regular highlights of Robinson’s Racing Pigs; tractor pulls; the frog jumping contest; the kids’ tractor pull; horse, pony, and cattle pulls; and arts, crafts, bakery, and photo exhibits. The three-day event marks the unofficial end of the summer for many area students who will leave the fair on Sunday knowing school will be back in session on Thursday, Aug. 29. For more information, visit www.chesterfair.org.

The Haddam Neck Fair is celebrating its 104th year this year. Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and beautiful setting, this fair offers an array of activities for everyone. This year’s fun includes karaoke, a 4x4 stock truck pull, a skillet-throwing contest, a beard contest, a 5K race, horse show, redneck strongman/strongwoman contest, and a baby contest. There also will be animals, food, and live music. For more information, visit www.haddamneckfair.com.

This fair offers the traditional plus something a little extra: wrestling. On Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Northeast Wrestling sets up its wrestling ring and its headliners go at it with pile drivers, head locks, and take downs, just like on TV, except here spectators can hear the gasps and grunts and see the sweat. There is a meet and greet with the stars after the show.

In addition, the fair has Old MacDonald’s Farm, where kids participate in pie eating contests and visit with the farm animals in the petting zoo. There is also live music, agricultural exhibits, arts and crafts, and great fair food, as well as a dino fossil dig and educational display, a mini corn maze, and obstacle course. For more information, visit www.northhaven-fair.com.

The Guilford Fair is the second-oldest agricultural fair in the state. It offers midway rides, games and food, cattle, poultry, sheep, goats, vegetables, baking, canning, flowers, arts and crafts, needlework, and photography exhibits, as well as an antique tractor pull and its circus, which among other things always includes a show from the famous high-wire act the Flying Wallendas. The Wallenda family, one of the world’s most famous circus families, never disappoints, with feats of daring and acrobatic prowess performed without harnesses or nets. Now representing the eighth generation of high wire professionals, the leader of the group Tino Wallenda, 69, says he is extremely proud that his grandchildren are part of the family act. For more information, visit guilfordfair.org.

The Durham Fair is the largest agricultural fair in the state. There is a lot to see, visit, and eat at this four-day fair extravaganza. For more information, visit www.durhamfair.com/index.

The Portland Fair makes the end of the fair season in Connecticut and provides one last chance to experience classic fair food, fun, animals, and agriculture. Don’t forget the dirt ditch mud bog, the chainsaw carving demos, and the high point archery shoot, which are all part of the autumn fair and last harvest hurrah. For more information, visit www.portlandfair.com.

The Monster Truck Meet and Greet at the Durham Fair will be noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, when fans can meet drivers and get autographs and pictures. At 2 p.m. there will be a Monster Truck Show. Photo courtesy of the Durham Fair

Livestock from wild boars to dairy cows will be featured at the Durham Fair. There also will be an animal costume parade with awards for funniest, prettiest, and most original at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30 at the cow palace. Photo courtesy of the Durham Fair

The horse pull at the North Haven Fair will be at noon on Saturday, Sept. 7 in the pulling area. File photo by Meglin Bodner/The Source

Robert Clarke, the magician, juggler, and funny guy will be performing again at the North Haven Fair in early September. File photo by Meglin Bodner/The Source

Real-life horse power will be on display at the Durham Fair, with horse pull teams coming from all over New England. Photo courtesy of the Durham Fair

Mammoth orange pumpkins will be battling it out at the Durham Fair for a variety of honors, including Queen of the Pumpkin Patch. Fun fact: The North American record for pumpkins is 2,525 pounds. Photo courtesy of the Durham Fair

The gate and midway at the Chester Fair opens Friday evening, Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. File photo by Susan Lambert/The Source

Rosaire’s Racing Pigs, speeding around the track at about 17 miles per hour, are scheduled to make an appearance at the Chester Fair again this year. There also will be a frog jumping contest and Twisty Bros. balloon art for the kids. File photo by Susan Lambert/The Source