By Sarah Marceau
The sense of tradition and authenticity that I experience when seeing the grange hall set up for the agricultural fair gives me goosebumps. Cheesy yes; but it always has. There is something familiar that is reminiscent of a family holiday meal. Everyone preparing has designated roles and traditions but is also ready to rise to the occasion and roll with the punches. The public fair hours are the performance, breath and peace that make everything worth it. Those big heavy tables that take several people to maneuver? They are another reason for several people to be involved. They are the timeless frames that highlight the tradition of it all.
Fair week was very special in my hometown of Farminton, Maine the agricultural fair is a week long and encompances traditional agriculture, attractions and a carnival. Even though the town is small, the fairgrounds are vast with permanent structures. As kids we all ended up knowing all of the exhibits by heart toward the end. I liked watching the flowers and vegetables shrivel up day by day. Even in high school we would “go check out the vegetables” like we needed to go pay our respects.
This years fair will be my first where I will be not only attending but volunteering and involved. I’m excited and do I dare say honored to help move those old clunky tables. To me they are relics of the past that I’m excited and honored to preserve for the future. They are an intricate part of our sweet little cannon grange.