NORTHAMPTON — The nation’s oldest agricultural fair celebrated its 200th anniversary this Labor Day weekend as thousands poured into the Northampton fairgrounds for the annual Three County Fair.
The Hampshire County Farm Bureau helped organize a parade of 139 tractors, driven by local farmers, through downtown Northampton on Saturday to mark the fair’s anniversary.
“This is the biggest turnout of tractors in Hampshire County in recent memory,” said Richard Jaescke, a director with the farm bureau and owner of RCW Landscape & Construction. “I don’t think there’s been a gathering of tractors in Hampshire County like this before.”
Joe Pipczynski rode his father’s vintage 1952 Farmall H down Main Street as he followed the parade toward the fairgrounds.
“We’ve done smaller tractor parades before in Hadley with maybe 30 or 40 tractors, but nothing like this,” Pipczynski said. “This is unbelievable.”
While participation fell short of what organizers had hoped for (they were aiming for 200 tractors, one for each year of the fair), riders were satisfied with the turnout.
“To get all the farmers out and see all the tractors running shows a lot of pride for the Valley,” said Brandon Daniel of Hadley, who rode a tractor borrowed from the North Hadley Sugar Shack.
“It’s kind of a fun thing to have this parade; they should have it every year,” said Stephen LaValley of Williamsburg as he watched tractors on King Street. “It’s neat to see this stuff. It gives you an idea of what farming is all about.”
“We just wanted to show the people of Hampshire County that the Three County Fair represents agriculture,” said Richard Jaescke. “And what better way to show it than with people who work the land?”
Jaescke is a Northampton native familiar with the farm culture of the Pioneer Valley. He worked with his wife, Sandra, and fellow farm bureau directors Tony Amato, Joe Laperle, Walter Thayer Jr., Frances Judd, Lynda Judd and Avis Fusck to organize the parade. Tim Jaescke, Richard’s son who also works for the family business, kept track of registrations.
“I was the last one to register, so I’m number 139,” the younger Jaescke said.
The Jaesckes loaned a big, blue tractor to Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, who also joined the parade.
“We did a little practice session just to make sure I knew how it worked,” Narkewicz said. “It’s really exciting. This is such a great way to mark the 200th anniversary of the Three County Fair.”
The spectacle was just one of many amusements the fair had to offer. Livestock competitions, craftspeople, food vendors, hypnotist shows, live music, rides and school bus demolition derbies were set to keep patrons busy throughout the holiday weekend.
“My favorite part is just seeing all the kids have a good time at the fair,” said Bruce Shallcross, the fair’s general manager. “Kids come and they see chickens in the poultry barn and want to know how to do that. … It’s really how you get people started in agriculture.”
Shallcross first got involved with the Three County Fair as a director in the early 1990s, and has served as general manager since 2002. This year will be his last with the fair.
“Now I’m ready to retire, so we’re looking for a new general manager,” he said.
According to Shallcross, more than 7,000 people had purchased fair tickets by 4 p.m. on Saturday, and he expected at least 4,000 more by the evening’s end. Ride revenues were up from last year too, he said.
Following the tractor parade, Narkewicz took to the grandstand with Three County Fair President Earle “Chip” Parsons, Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg, Massachusetts Agricultural Commissioner John Lebeaux, Bruce Shallcross, and other state officials to present the fairgrounds with a commemorative gift.
“We went to the Massachusetts archives and found the original fair legislation signed by the governor 200 years ago,” Rosenberg said. “We had a replica of it prepared and framed and we are presenting that today.”
Rosenberg and Lebeaux then announced that Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker had declared Sept. 2 “Three County Fair Day” in honor of the anniversary.
“I think it’s an important reminder that we live in a farming valley,” Narkewicz said. “People settled in this valley because of the fertile land, and farming remains one of our top industries. We have to make sure that we not only remember our agricultural history, but that we continue to support local farming in this valley.”
Rosenberg, too, emphasized the importance of agriculture to the commonwealth.
“The origins of this country were in agriculture, and right here in Hampshire County we had the Massachusetts Agricultural College established not too many years after this fair was established,” Rosenberg said. “There is a long tradition of agriculture right here in this valley, and this fair helps keep it alive.”
The Three County Fair continues through Monday at the fairgrounds with more live music, rides, agricultural exhibitions, pig racing, and a second school bus demolition derby.