FRYEBURG – A record Friday and two near record days midweek helped Fryeburg Fair post another successful year despite some wet weather.

“I think this was one of our best fairs,” said President David Hastings II Monday as campers packed up for home and workers began packing away rides for another year. “We were unduly blessed by the weather. On opening Sunday it rained all around us but never touched the fairgrounds.”

Barry Emery, ticket superintendent for the past 29 years, agreed.

“We lost our two best days to the weather,” Emery said, pointing to opening day and Saturday. “If we had had even half decent weather on those days, no doubt we would have broken records. What amazed me was Saturday. It was pouring rain and they were still coming in.”

The weather cooperated throughout the week, especially Friday and its record crowd of 29,776. That number was up significantly from the 2001 record of 27,652.

“We had a hard time Saturday but it showed how devoted our fair-goers are,” Hastings said. “More than 25,000 paid to come to the fair in the rain, which means we probably had more than 50,000 people on the grounds.”

Attendance for the week saw 16,809 on opening Sunday (record 29,995 in 2001); 24,150 on Monday, Woodsmen’s Day (record 25,207 in 2000); 15,194 on Tuesday, Senior Citizens Day (record 15,496 in 2000); 15,328 on Wednesday; 17,813 on Thursday; the new record of 29,776 on Friday; 25,360 on Saturday (record 46,834 in 2001); and 23,677 on the final Sunday (record 27,652 in 2000).

Daily attendance figures do not include children under 12, seniors on Tuesday, weekly tickets, advance sales, pass holders and life memberships.

Camping Superintendent Glenn Chute said about a third of the campers had turned in reservations for next year before they left. Monday’s midday mail brought in another handful. A number of local campers left their rigs but will return later in the week to retrieve them when the traffic congestion has cleared.

Activity continued rain or shine in the livestock area whether it was in the 4-H Market Lamb and Beef Steer judging, the competition for the Supreme Champion Dairy of all breeds or the contest for the top pair of steers or oxen. More than 4,000 animals competed over the eight days.

“The best part of the fair was the quality of the animals being shown here,” President Hastings said. “We had judges from all over the country and they all commented on the quality. We can be very proud that the animals shown here are of national quality.”

While the harness racing saw a new track record established, the rain definitely affected racing, limiting the total handle (amount bet) to $878,703 for the week, down about $50,000 from last year. Saturday’s rain kept the handle to $130,517. A normal Saturday crowd will bet $200,000 or more.

The pacing record set in 1994 was broken by a full second when Robert Sumner drove Franco Sagan to a track record of 1:56.2 in the Mountain Skipper Invitational Pace.

Billy Let Go set the old pacing record in 1994 in a time of 1:57.2. The Mountain Skipper Invitational was named for Arthur Nason’s pacer that first broke two minutes in 1974 and set the track record at 1:59.4. It is held the final Sunday of the fair and this year carried a purse of $6,000.

Copy the Story Link