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Morethanfair,
it'sasensational
tradition
By John Watters
arts@barnstablepatriot.com
PATRIOT FILE PHOTO
BET YOU'LL EATJUST ONE - Back in 2009,a booth at the Barnstable County Fair featured this "pot roast sundae,
"
a mighty meal in a bowl. You're likely to find similar gustatory challenges when this year's fair opens July 21 in
Falmouth.
What
's that sound?
What's that smell? It
can be only one thing:
there's a fair in the air, as the old
BarnstableCounty Fair advertise-
ment jingle goes. Yes, ladies and
gentlemen,boys and girls,it'sthat
time again as our storied County
Fair, which started in 1844, is
about to open its gatesup on Rte.
151 in Falmouth.
Although the annual Barnsta-
ble County AgriculturalSociety's
exhibition, with its midway of
rides and attractions is marking
its 170* anniversary, there have
been gaps along the way espe-
cially during war years when the
fair didn't happen. Nevertheless,
generation after generation of
Cape Codders make the yearly
trek to the fairgrounds.
According to the Fair's own
history page, the first fair took
place at the County Courthouse
in Barnstable Village, and it was
mostly all about livestock. The
fairgrounds where the Barn-
stable Agricultural Hall (now
condominiums) wasbuilt in 1854
was the site until after waning
attendance the fairwas discontin-
ued in 1931. Eight years later, to
markthe town'sTercentennial, the
fair was resurrected. The Mayor
of Barnstaple, England was the
honorary master of ceremonies.
A brief home movie of that
year's fair shot by Cotuit resident
Eliot H. Robinson, Sr., was edited
by Paul Rifkin and donated to the
Fair by Mark H. Robinson. The
wonderful glimpse into the Fair's
past can be viewed by going on
YouTube and searching for 1939
Barnstable County Fair, it'sworth
the effort.
During World War II the fair
was suspended and didn't reopen
until 1951, when it moved to
Marstons Mills, in 1973 the fair
moved again, finally establishing
its Falmouth site.
It was in Marstons Mills that I
first experienced the Barnstable
County Fair. What a magical
night it was to drive with my
brother and parents through the
dark roads until a kaleidoscopic
oasis of colored lights appeared
in the middle of nowhere. The
rides, the cotton candy, arcade
games and the exotic sideshow
acts were quintessential Ameri-
cana and intoxicating to a pre-
teen brain.
Yearslater, attending with my
own son, the Fair had a different
allure. The look on his face as he
soaked in the strange sights and
soundsrevealedhewasenthralled
as well.
Whether you love the midway
or the farm tents the fair isalways
agreattake, aperennial milestone
of summer. I never get my fill
of sausage and onions grilling
on the griddle, followed by the
"world's best ice cream sundae"
and washed down with a freshly
squeezed lemonade. I can taste
them now. I can't wait for the
gates to open this weekend.
Some of the highlights of this
year's fair are Team Extreme/
FMX MotoCross featuring dare-
devil bicycle riders performing
death-defying stunts on Monday
at 7 p.m. On Wednesday at 7:30
theperennial favoriteDemolition
Derby will take center stage and
if you feel like participating you
can register your vehicle up to
one hour before the ramming
and jamming begins.
The music acts will feature
returning country singer Josh
Thompson on Tuesday night at
7:30 singing his hits "Turn It
Up," "You Wanted Me Gone,"
1 ((,-I_ I J T I l
i r:^i- \r XT
anu Lumoeer wim iuurnamc
On It." On Thursday night at
7:30 local talent will be tested
in the Cape Summer Star talent
show hosted by WCOD. Verti-
cal Horizon will grab the mics
on Friday night singing their
former #1 hit "Every Thing You
Want." Saturday night will fea-
ture up and coming country star
Dustin Lynch, sure to singhis old
standbys "Cowboys and Angels"
and "Crank Up My Tractor. "
Finishing up the music will be
1964 The Tribute, billed as "#1
Beatles Band in the World," on
the closing Sunday night with
shows at 5:30 and 7:30.
Go to capecodfairgrounds.com/events/
bamstasble-county-fair/forfulldailylist-
ings,ticket information,and directions.
CountyfairopensinFalmouthMonday
^ A FAMILY FRIENDLY ? FREE EVENT
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