The Big Deal about Small Town Fairs
Food and a Sense of Place
August arrives with gardens bursting at the seams—zucchini and tomatoes in abundance—and the countryside dotted with small, local agricultural fairs. These are the fairs that steal my heart. They aren’t just about entertainment; they are a window into place, tradition, and community.
This month, I’m eagerly awaiting my local favorite: the Heath Fair. Below, I’ll share why—and how fairs like these deepen our connection to the land and to each other.
The Big Deal About Small-Town Fairs
A growing love for local food and local agriculture is no secret. Farmers’ markets thrive, farm-to-table dinners sell out, and small-town fairs hold a special place in our hearts.
When we attend the Heath Fair, it’s a tradition to eat our way through the fairgrounds. We start with our neighbors booth, the Hagers, and their maple cream-covered fried dough. Then comes lemonade, kettle corn, and French fries, all leading up to the legendary Volunteer Fire Department Chicken Dinner. Calories don’t count at the fair.
Afterwards we walk around absorbed in the perfectly groomed sheep, the delightfully quirky zucchini race (you have to see it to believe it), and live music from the region.
For just a moment, our differences in backgrounds, politics, and beliefs fade away, replaced by the shared experience of something deeply local—something created together.
Blue Ribbons and Sense of Place Dopamine
Exhibit Hall, Prizes for Flowers at the Heath Fair
Wandering through the exhibit halls, gives me a hit of what I refer to as “sense of place dopamine” I can feel that brain chemical defiantly being released as I wander the tables in the hall, overflowing with lovingly grown vegetables, artfully arranged flowers, and home-baked pies, For me it’s just the heartwarming adorableness that someone would learn the art of arranging garden flowers and submit them with the quiet hope of a blue ribbon prize.
Another personal favorite part of the fair for me is the draft horse pull. I love watching the earnestness of both the horses and the team drivers—because they are carrying on such an old farming tradition here. There’s lots of old photos of these kinds of horse teams pulling logs from the forest or used when gathering maple syrup.
Fairs like these suspend time, offering a glimpse of the past while still moving forward. They root us in the land, in shared history, and in a sense of belonging.
Try This:
Attend a Fair. Seek out an old-fashioned agricultural fair in your area. If you’re in New England, consider visiting the Heath Fair. It happens mid-August every year and is the best small-town agricultural fair ever.
Listen to Songs about Small Town Fairs: Imagine a Backstory. Every fair is full of stories—real or imagined. One of my favorite songs capturing this feeling is “Roseville Fair” by Bill Staines, sung here by a young Nanci Griffith. This post is dedicated to Nanci, who passed away on August 13th. Her music has been an inspiration to me, and I imagine she’s watching over us now—“From a Distance.”
Read Books about Farms and Families. Something That Brings Place to Life. One of my favorite books that beautifully explores kinship between family and land is Five Thousand Days Like This One by Jane Brox. I often use passages from this book as writing prompts in my classes.
Your Turn: Do you have a specific country fair you love to go to? Is there a fair-style treat you love? Do you have a memory that connects you to one fair in a meaningful way?
I’d love to hear about your favorite fair or your favorite treat. Write and let me know!
Interpreter Pro Tip:
Do you give programs at a site that has a story connected to a country fair? Sometimes you can find stories of people in rural areas who met their beloved dancing at a country fair! Or who sold their produce there. Share one of these stories and let visitors know if the fair is still happening, and where they can go feel the magic themselves.