NORTHAMPTON — The sounds of barnyard animals, the smell of fried dough and barbecue, and the sights from atop the Ferris wheel were just a few of the sensations experienced by thousands of people during the Three County Fair over Labor Day weekend.
The Three County Fair returned to Northampton for its 208th year, offering four days of rides, agricultural exhibitions and food trucks for more than 30,000 people from across the western half of the state and beyond. Families turned out in droves to the fair, witnessing special events ranging from miniature goat racing to motorcycle stunts along the “Wall of Death.” The highlight event for most days was a demolition derby featuring custom-painted school buses.
For many children, one of the biggest draws was the numerous animals featured in the fair, most on display in the “Baby Barnyard” loaned out from nearby farms. Such animals included typical farm animals like goats and pigs, but also highland cattle, peacocks and a chinchilla.
“I really liked the rabbits, and we saw cows and a giant pig,” said 9-year-old Isolde Stallings. “It was really fun.”
The sentiment was shared by Jhordine Lindsay, 8. “I like looking at the animals,” she said. “My favorites are the bunnies and the goats.”
The Three County Fair has been put on nearly every year since 1818 by the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Agricultural Society. Taylor Haas, executive director of the society, said in an interview Monday that last year’s fair had seen a record-breaking attendance, and that this year’s was on pace to stay on course.
“The spirit of our fair is based in agriculture,” Haas said. “But fairs have really morphed into this big event where we have rides and food and music, so we feel that it’s important to offer free parking and free entertainment for families.”
This year also saw the debut of several events, such as the “Axe Women of Maine,” featuring female competitors of various logging-related competitions, a pie-eating contest held to raise money for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and a “New England Mullet Showdown” where a panel of judges determines who best sports the hairstyle.
“We had a really great turnout for that, both in terms of mullets and the crowd,” Haas said of the latter event.
Several local farms contributed in putting on the fair and providing animals to exhibit, such as Maple Line Farm of Hadley, Muddy Brook Farm of Amherst and Grindstone Mountain Farm of Southampton. The fair’s Farm Museum also displayed several exhibits of antique farming machines and guides on making homemade sauerkraut.
Haas said it is important that local farms play a role in putting together the fair.
“All of our community is really involved in this fair, the farming community, and I think that’s what makes it really special,” she said. “It makes it more than a fair. It’s a big family that comes and puts all of this together.”
In one of the 10 barns placed throughout the fair, students with the 4-H development program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture displayed cows they’ve raised and nurtured. Erin Judd, a 17-year-old from Goshen, won best overall showman for her Guernsey cow named Jazz.
“It’s taught me a lot of life lessons, and I’ve met so many people through it, too,” Judd said, having spent eight years in the 4-H program. “I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for any opportunities to meet new people.”
In another barn, vendors set up booths and sold various wares such as jewelry, homemade spices and tote bags. Linda Williams, of Westfield, said it was her second year as a vendor, selling homemade dishcloths under the name of Sprout Creations.
“The crowds here are very nice, and come from diverse backgrounds,” Williams said. “The fair has a little bit of everything.”
Despite all the events and rides, fairgoers had no need to worry about staying nourished. More than a dozen food trucks were lined up along a section of the fair’s outer ring. Some offered traditional fair food like sausages, burgers and fried dough, although others offered more diverse offerings like Filipino or Venezuelan cuisine.
But Evelyn Houston, age 8, already had made up her mind on what to eat.
“I’ll probably get some tater tots and fries,” she said. “That’s what I usually get at the fair.”