FARMINGTON – The smell of sugary cotton candy and the spice of sausages spun in the air. Kids giggled and clapped their hands as they spun in circles on the swings. Some 1980s power ballads blasted through the muggy early evening air. And in the barns, bleating livestock called out for their supper.

People were amused and the sky was blue, which meant that fair organizers like Neal Yeaton, John Stansfield and Bob Underwood were content.

The three men, all officers for the Franklin County Agricultural Society, the nonprofit organization that puts on the fair each year, have been sweating for the last 51 weeks for these short seven days in September. “It gets in your blood after a while,” Stansfield says on why he keeps coming back.

Weather woes

“This fair is like any fair. You have good weather and it goes well. If it rains, you might as well go home,” explained Stansfield, treasurer of the society for the past 35 years.

“The weather makes it or breaks it. If the weather is good, they’ll come to the Farmington Fair, no matter how bad the economy,” he said. “They may not spend as much when they get here, but they’ll come.”

So far, it seems the weather has been on the side of the fair, but Stansfield warns that despite the forecasts, it’s New England, and that means the sky could change in five minutes.

But whether rain or shine, this year’s fair has some fresh ideas from the planning committee.

Ready to rumble

On Tuesday night, while the local favorite Franklin County Fiddlers make their toe-tapping music, across the fairgrounds, Yankee Pro Wrestling will be catching the attention of fair-goers from 7 to 9 p.m.

Underwood, president of the society and the superintendent of entertainment, doesn’t know how the spectacle of pro-wrestling will be received, but is optimistic.

“We try to bring something different each year. I am not sure how it will go over and how people will response to it. But right now, there is a resurgence in the wrestling works. It’s a big thing. So, we are going to see what it’s like.”

A family af-fair

The fair isn’t just about making jaws or bellies drop. Some of the fair’s biggest excitement can be found in its pulling rings, animal barns and grange halls.

“We try to offer something for every age bracket,” said Yeaton, fair secretary. There is a petting zoo for the kids, rides and games for teens, agricultural exhibits for adults and beano for the elderly.

“You’ve got to put on a wholesome, good clean event. This is about families,” he said, pointing out that what makes this fair special is its emphasis on the age old traditions that defined the county, such as farming and logging.

The fair is also a crucial fund-raiser for many local churches, legions and nonprofit groups, Stansfield said. “You name the social club and they’re down here. This gives them all a chance to make money, and they all do. There are very few people in this county who are involved in their communities and not involved in this fair.”

The Farmington Fair runs through Saturday evening.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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