Though the end of the summer may soon be upon us, Maine’s fair season is just getting started. The fairs, many of which are over 150 years old, are a nostalgic experience for many Mainers, featuring traditional livestock shows, baking competitions and various contests.

Many fairs now incorporate carnival elements, like rides and games, however, organizers say their main goal remains education. “We’re here to educate the public about agriculture,” said Barry Norris, executive director of the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs. 

Keeping engagement with the fairs is a challenge, but MAAF encourages Maine’s fairs to incorporate new elements and engaging exhibits that speak to their community pride. “We’re not strictly agriculture,” said Junia Norris, the newsletter editor and special projects coordinator for MAAF. “We’re really community and agriculture. That’s the beauty of fairs nationwide. It’s celebrating what’s in your town.”

Part of the joy of the fair is not knowing what new exhibit or event will be there, Norris said. And, though fairs have some similar events and classic staples, each one has its unique character. Here are some of those things that set a few Maine fairs apart this year:

Piscataquis Valley Fair’s Fire Department Museum, Aug. 21-24

Run by volunteer firefighters, the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department Museum invites visitors to see and learn about firefighting equipment from the late 19th century to the present day. “It’s outstanding,” Norris said. Old memorabilia, pictures and antique fire engines will be on display. Details about the museum’s hours and fair events are available on the fair’s website: piscataquisvalleyfair.com. 

Washington County Fair’s expert crafters, Aug. 23-24

While this fair is smaller than others, its claim to fame is the crafters that sell their work. Norris noted the high quality quilting and needlework that are sold at the fair. “If you are a person that wants to go to a fair and buy a quilt by a lady in Maine who’s worked all winter long to get it, that’s the place to go,” she said. “It is outstanding. It’s like a little gold mine up there.” More information about the crafters and events at the fair can be found online at washingtoncountyfairmaine.com.

Windsor Fair’s historic village, Aug. 23-Sept. 1

This fair takes the nostalgic aspect of Maine’s agricultural fairs and turns it up a notch by allowing fairgoers to step back in time with its historic village. The fair has acquired 12 buildings that display 19th- and early 20th-century artifacts, including an old saw mill and a printing press. A post and beam lumber mill building and the Weeks Mills Water Company windmill are among the historical society’s newest additions. Throughout fair week, the historical society hosts various demonstrations including blacksmithing, cooking over a fireplace and using a working loom. 

The museum is the work of Bob Brann, who recently died.

“He was a local man who really believed that we needed to capture the history of Windsor Fair and the agricultural history of the area,” Norris said. “One by one he moved buildings from all over the place.”

Also popular and unique at the Windsor Fair is its operational sugarhouse, where Bacon Farms processes maple syrup on site. “You can watch them do the whole thing,” Norris said. In addition to teaching the public about the maple syrup-making process, they also sell maple products including maple cotton candy and whoopie pies. More information can be found on the fair’s website: windsorfair.com. 

Blue Hill Fair’s ‘Charlotte’s Web’ exhibit, Aug. 28-Sept. 1

A unique opportunity to step into E.B. White’s world is exclusively available at the Blue Hill Fair. The family of the “Charlotte’s Web” author collaborated with the fair organizers to construct a permanent exhibit that recreates the barnyard scene from the popular children’s book. In 2022, the replica of the barn and pigpen, complete with a web and a real live Wilbur, opened for the first time. The exhibit is dedicated to Rosanna McFarland, a local teacher who believed that every child should have a new book on their birthday. More information can be found on bluehillfair.com.

Cumberland Fair’s international ox pull, Sept. 21-27

An annual highlight of this large fair is the international ox pull, dating back to the fair’s origins in 1868. In an ox-pulling competition, teams of animals fitted with yokes pull a weighted sledge either for a distance or a timed clock.

Each year, American and Canadian teams compete at the South Shore Exhibition in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, and the Cumberland Fair in Cumberland. While the American teams can use their traditional neck yokes and the Canadian teams use their head yokes, the teams must follow the host country’s pulling rules. The American style of ox pulling tends to focus on high speed and short bursts of power, while the Nova Scotia style focuses on steadiness and control. The two also tend to use different breeds of oxen. At the South Shore Exhibition in July, Americans placed in the top three spots.

Go to this fair for the international ox pull and stay for the bull-riding. This fair is the only fair in Maine that has a full professional rodeo. Put on by the All American Rodeo Company, the event features roping, barrel racing, clowns and trick riding.

And finally, at this fair, the bigger the squash, the better. The Cumberland Fair is one of the only fairs in the state to hold a giant pumpkin contest. The contest, Norris said, highlights how the fair “maximizes what they had.” “They didn’t try to replicate things. They just did the best with what they had available at that time of year in that locale in the state. They’re really outstanding,” Norris added.

For information on these events and others, see the Cumberland Fair’s website: cumberlandfair.com.