Three multi-generational traditions in Hampshire County are being maintained with the help of tens of thousands in funds from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR).
Last month the MDAR announced the Cummington Fair, the Three County Fair, and the Grange in Willimasburg were recipients of funding as part of a $2 million statewide disbursement for agricultural fair infrastructure projects — and the money has already been put to work.
The Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society, which runs the Three County Fair over Labor Day weekend that attracts some 35,000 people, received $73,715 to complete five “very critical” projects, said Executive Director Taylor Haas.
A third of the Three County Fair’s funds will be put toward replacing a sewage pump station, since the fair’s current one dates from the 1970s or 1980s, said Haas. The pump directs sewage up the street from the fairgrounds to Bridge Street, where it connects with the city’s infrastructure.
“The fairgrounds are obviously very old, and this panel box and this switch were very antiquated and not able to support the growth on the fairgrounds any longer — and could have especially posed an issue,” she said.
The funding also paid for new water lines for the fair’s campers.
“Our camping lot supports all our shows through the year,” she said. “A lot of people will come here and camp … we have a lot of visitors outside the immediate area, so safe, healthy water is what people need.”
While these projects go in underground, a more “aesthetic” project will be for new fencing for horse shows.
“A lot of what we have has been recycled throughout the years — you know, using the horse racing rails on other areas of the fairground,” said Hass. “This has been great — you know reduce, reuse, recycle, but now it’s at a point where we’re looking to make things a little bit safer for kids, and just better aesthetically as well.”
Other fixes include new grandstand lights, “which will be super great during demolition derbies,” and some roofing repairs.
“The bottom line is,” said Haas, “is that these projects really support the longevity of the fairgrounds. We want to keep the tradition that is the fairgrounds around for generations.”
The Williamsburg Grange, a generational gem dating back to 125 years, received $64,160 that will go toward a new roof, according to Director Joy Moore. Architect Marc Sternick out of Florence was chosen for the job that began last month.
The roof still has tin on it dating from the 1950s, and had some work done in the 1990s but it has not been fully replaced. In the words of Moore, the funds ensure the Grange, “stays a hall for all.”
Among the Grange’s role of being a center for agricultural and community life in Williamsburg, it has hosted an agricultural fair that has run consecutively since 1907 — “except for COVID and maybe a war,” she said.
According to Moore, “It’s our first step in renovating the hall for the next 100 years.”
The Cummington Fair received $85,595 from MDAR. Its director did not respond for comment.
Samuel Gelinas can be reached at sgelinas@gazettenet.com.
