By Amanda Bibbins
Staff Writer
On Oct. 3, the Topsfield Fair will open its gates once more for all of America to enjoy for 10 days.
The fair is complete with a midway hosted by Fiesta Shows, photography and art displays collected from local amateurs and professionals, and food galore.
Meanwhile, the fair stays close to its roots with fruit and vegetable displays, and animal shows hosted by 4H and local farms.
The Topsfield Fair also hosts big musical acts each year. This year, on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., country music artist Kellie Pickler will perform at the Grandstand at the Fairgrounds.
Among other musical acts that will perform at the Fair are North Sea Gas, Confederate Railroad, America, and Danielle Bradbery.
In addition, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will perform their Musical Ride a total of seven times over the course of five days in the arena. The Musical Ride is performed by 32 riders and horses every other year at the fair.
The crowning gem of the Topsfield Fair has always been the All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, where some of the largest pumpkins have been displayed following the Weigh-Off on the first Saturday of the Fair.
This is where the world’s first one-ton pumpkin debuted in 2012, grown by Rhode Islander Ron Wallace.
Among the unique events at the Fair is Robinson’s Racing Pigs, where four piglets at a time swim and race around a miniature pen in pursuit of Oreo cookies.
This attraction is a favorite for families who attend.
Topsfield has been the host of “America’s Oldest Fair” since 1818, when the Essex Agricultural Society decided to hold an event for local farmers that would allow agriculturalists and herders to come together to compare their goods.
At the time, Topsfield was chosen as the destination of the Fair for its centrality in Essex Country.
The Topsfield Fair will open this year at 1 p.m. on Oct. 3, then at 10 a.m. from Oct. 4-13, before it ends on Columbus Day. The Topsfield Fairgrounds are located north of Boston on Route 1.
The cost of General Admission is $9. So visit topsfieldfair.org for more information.
