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The 2015 Barnstable County Fair is being held July 20 to 26 at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in East Falmouth.
EAST FALMOUTH – The flash of the Barnstable County Fair, which began 171 years ago on Cape Cod, may be in the colorful midway, with its dozens of rides, but the heart of the fair is in its agricultural roots, according to Wendy Brown, general manager of the Barnstable County Agricultural Society, which runs the fair.
“The fair has changed through the years with the addition of the midway and things like that, but the one thing that stays constant is the agricultural piece, which was dear to all the fairs that were incorporated back to the 1800s. It’s steeped in tradition,” Brown said.
Fair organizers try to maintain a high level of agricultural activities at the fair every year, even though farming and keeping livestock are not as common in the region as they were more than a century ago when the fair started.
The Agricultural Society does have a Master Gardener program that is featured at the fair, and in the area of livestock, there are chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, sheep and more.
But farming is not the only focus. With a variety of shows, music and special features, the fair has wide appeal for all ages.
“We open up with some big shows and end with some big shows and everything in between,” Brown said.
The Barnstable County Fair runs Monday, July 20 to Sunday, July 26. It is located at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in East Falmouth, where it has been for many years. The hours this year are Monday to Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. The Midway area closes at 11 p.m. on Monday to Saturday and at 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The fair has a rich history. The Barnstable County Agricultural Society, a private nonprofit, was incorporated in 1844. The fair started on Route 6A near the Barnstable County Courthouse. It moved to Marstons Mills where the Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course is now located.
In the early 1970s, land was purchased in East Falmouth, and the fair was moved there almost 45 years ago.
Brown said, keeping the fair going all those years has been challenging.
“In this day and age, trying to maintain that level and maintain 98 acres of land with all the expenses is very difficult,” Brown said. To broaden the site’s appeal, the society changed the name to the Cape Cod Fairgrounds, from the longtime name, Barnstable County Fairgrounds.
In addition to the fair, the society has an active events season from late April to November 1 and there are events held every weekend during that time. Among the large events are the Insane 5K Inflatable Race, Cape Cod Dog Show, Food Truck Festival, Cape Cod Brew Fest and the Scallop Festival.
The society has a scholarship fund and awards $35,000 a year to local Cape Cod students going on to higher education since 1974. “It equates to well over a million worth that we have given away,” Brown said.
The society is a nonprofit and the fair is 90 percent of the society’s revenue, Brown said.
“That’s what enables us to do the good works that we do throughout the community and to give back to the children of Cape Cod,” she said.
The scholarship qualification has expanded to include not just students who will study agricultural educational endeavors but also culinary, landscaping, golf turf management and more.
This year’s scholarship ceremony in which 17 students will receive awards takes place Thursday, July 23, which is Country Night at the fair. Craig Wayne Boyd at 7 p.m. and Jason Michael Carroll at 8:10 p.m. will be performing that night.
Tickets to the fair include the entertainment for the evening. Spectators can bring chairs and blankets for the show and sit on the lawn in front of the main state.
Other big entertainment events during the far are US Freestyle Motocross, Demolition Derby, and a singing competition, Cape Cod Summer Star.
Among the musical performances are Three Dog Night on Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m.; Fran Cosmo, lead singer of Boston, Friday at 7:30 p.m.; and the Willis Clan Sunday at 4 and 7 p.m. The Willis Clan have a show on the TLC network. The family’s band includes both parents and 12 children. The Willis Clan shows are 4pm and 7pm on Sunday.
Another unusual entertainment event at the fair is the LumberJills, a lumber jack show that includes a log rolling pool with 4,000 gallons of water.
One of the highlights of the fair are two areas Brown called the “food loop.” A new vendor this year will have frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and stuffed with peanut butter.
Craig Orsi, spokesman for the fair, said there are more food vendors this year than the past two years. “The food section of the fair continues to grow,” he said.
This year, Wristband Days at the fair, in which those who purchase a band get unlimited rides, are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. On Monday and Thursday, wristbands can be purchased from 4 to 9; Friday from noon to 7; and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. The bands allow the wearer to get unlimited rides until closing.
For More information on the Fair, please visit the Barnstable County Fair page.
Listen below as Cape Cod Fairgrounds Manager Wendy Brown and Craig Orsi, who handles the fair’s marketing, talk about the 2015 edition of the Barnstable County Fair.
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