It is the middle of September and...

   It's the middle of September. The weather has been a bit different than normal this Fall, although I am not sure what normal is anymore. Lack of significant rainfall and warmer temperatures have delayed the colorful Fall foliage we come to expect this time of the month, but that didn't deter us from taking a trip to Farmington, Maine. Why go to Farmington one might ask? It's the third week of September and it's 'fair week'. It's the Farmington Fair and Tuesday is... Senior's Day. What better way to spend $2.00.

   It has been a long time since we've attended the Farmington Fair. We lived  and worked in Farmington for many years and went to the fair regularly. A move away, life, jobs and raising a family took priority over going to the fair for many years. But now, being retired and with more free time, why not spend a bit a beautiful fall afternoon mingling among the crowds.

   Maine has a long history of local country fairs that highlight farming and agriculture across the state. And while some of the country fairs may be a bit more famous and have well known names such as Fryeburg and Skowhegan, the Farmington Fair has always been one of our favorites. It's a bit smaller than some of the others  but has a wonderful hometown feel about it and while the food vendors have changed over the years and the amusement rides have become a bit more daring (at least at my age), there are still many elements of fairs of the past. This  was the fair's 175^th year dating back to its original opening in 1840. Yes. That was before the Civil War.

   To understand the history of country fairs, it is helpful to understand the 'Grange'.

   According to Wikipedia, the Grange, officially referred to as The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, is a fraternal organization in the United States that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture. ( I could say something very politically incorrect here, but I think I'll pass.) The Grange, founded in 1867, shortly after the Civil War, is the oldest American agricultural group with a national scope.

   In 2005, the Grange had a membership of 160,000, with organizations in 2,100 communities in 36 states. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in a building built by the organization in 1960. Many rural communities in the United States still have a Grange Hall and local Granges still serve as a center of rural life for many farming communities. And in Farmington, the major building and the center of attraction on the fair grounds, in addition to the animal barns and cattle pulls, is the Grange Hall display.

   One of the advantages of going to the fair on Senior's Day beside the $2.00 entry fee is that, with the kids at school, it's basically an all adult crowd. Now don't get me wrong, I like kids and my own had attended the fair many times when we lived in town. But when you get a bit older, it's a different perspective and while it is fun and entertaining watching the kids race from ride to ride and spill ice cream on their shirts, with the older folks, on Senior Day, there is more of a feeling of..."it's good to be home again". And no, I didn't spill any ice cream on my shirt. That's ketchup from the french fries.

   But one of the disadvantages of being in the crowd is that we all look alike, i.e. gray hair, no hair, gray beards, lots of flannel and fleece jackets and zip up sweatshirts, and long lines at the bingo booth and the betting window at the horse track.  When my wife disappeared, I couldn't find her!  And the music in the background? Early country-western. (Didn't see many cellphones in use either except to take pictures of the cows, sheep and ducks. Those ducks were really cute.)

   Although it has been several years, actually many years, since we last went to the fair, there were still people moving in the crowd who we recognized and who recognized us.  And the smell and taste of the freshly cut french fries and the sausage and pepper sandwiches would make anyone’s mouth water. Is there anyone who can  leave the fairgrounds without taking a big bite into a low-calorie (right) dough boy, topped with melted butter and powered sugar? It may be worth a trip back next year just for the dough boy.

    Going to the Farmington Fair or any fair for that matter is like a walk down memory lane and if you haven't done so in a while, it might be worth a spending a little bit of time in the 'country fresh' outdoors, patting a friendly sheep on the head, cheering for your favorite steer or ox pulling team and getting reacquainted with your neighbors. (Hmm. I wonder if Donald Trump has ever been to a country fair and taken a ride on the Ferris wheel. He might just learn a thing or two about the people who live outside the big city limits!)