FARMINGTON — The 171st annual exhibition of the Farmington Fair is less than two weeks away and the fair association is cleaning and preparing the Starbird Building.

It runs from Sept. 18 through the 24.

Painting, work on the scales to weigh animals and a new cap for the roof on the Starbird Building are under way, Neal Yeaton, fair secretary, said.

The association remembers an active and beloved contributor to Farmington Fair in this year’s fair book, a listing of the rules and information about submitting items and animals for judging.

Edith McCleery of Farmington, who passed away this past spring, is remembered for her 70-year association with the Franklin County Agricultural Society and her exhibit work with Farmington Grange No. 12.

“Always an avid gardener, baker and preserver of jams, jellies and vegetables, over the years, she and her late husband, Robert L. McCleery took great pleasure in raising and/or collecting vegetables, melons, sunflowers and grains and grasses to enhance the exhibit (of the grange),” according to fair book.

She worked diligently for the Farmington Fair Grange food booth in the exhibition hall. Along with cookies, chowder and other foods, her homemade doughnuts were popular.

“In 2010, at age 85, she made, fried and delivered forty 40 doughnuts for sale at the Grange booth,” according to the fair book.

She is also remembered for her support of  4-H exhibitions as her six children exhibited their own animals. She was also a strong supporter of the Antique Farm Museum and relocation of the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum to the fairgrounds.

While her husband served as a trustee of the Franklin County Agricultural Society for 33 years, Edith worked behind the scenes, helping him and keeping their own farm going, especially during fair week, the memorial said.

Many of the favorite things about the fair that the McCleerys and other fair-goers enjoy each year will return this year, including 4-H exhibits, horse racing, demolitions, oxen and horse pulling, entertainment and rides galore provided by Smokey’s Midway.

A truck and tractor pull takes place Friday night, Sept. 23, and a lawn mower and garden tractor pull are planned for Saturday, Sept. 24, instead of pulling, Yeaton said.

Demolition Derbies are planned for Monday and Saturday nights.

Seniors, ages 62 and up, will have two days to go to the fair on reduced admission prices again this year. On Tuesday and Thursday, fair admission is $2 for those ages, he said. Regular admission for ages 12 and up is $6.

Ride specials return on Monday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 to 9 p.m.

After raising lambs, steer and hogs all year, 4-H members will enter their animals into Friday’s 4-H Market Lamb, Steer and Hog show and sale planned for 6:30 p.m., Yeaton said.

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