By Delaney Fitzpatrick
The Common Ground Country Fair, one of the biggest fairs in Maine, is home to 30 different fairground areas, each with a different theme ranging from folk arts to Maine Indian basket making.
“We have tents set up ranging from where you can learn and talk to people who do traditional skills to tents that have organizations for social, political and environmental missions,” April Boucher, director of the fair and employee of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), said. “We also have a farmers’ market that has certified organic produce and that also is in addition to working livestock demonstrations,”
MOFGA helped start the fair in 1977, marking this year as its 39-year anniversary. Back when it all started, the fair was held at the Windsor fairgrounds.
Years passed, and as the fair started to gain more popularity and attention, it grew to be too big for the Windsor fairgrounds. In 1997, the current fairground land was purchased in Unity and, in 1998, the fair had its first round at the Unity fairground.
Along with all the tents, the fair is also home to more than 700 talks, hands-on workshops and demonstrations available to all fairgoers.
“[The demonstrations] range from learning traditional skills, learning how to pick out your goat to learning how to do beekeeping in urban areas. You also can get involved in particular movements like the Appalachian Trail club or herbs for stress reduction. There is a really wide gamut of things to participate in,” Boucher said.
The fair brings in about 60,000 people every year — people from all backgrounds, cultures and places.
“This fair brings a lot to Maine. We are a center of community, where people come from all different walks of life. Everyone is welcome and everyone finds a way to connect with other people. It is a place to see old friends, make new friends and learn and improve yourself with knowledge,” Boucher said.
The fair doesn’t just bring in people. It brings in money for local Maine businesses.
“This fair is important to rural living because it captures Maine’s culture. It is also good for the economy. We are [primarily] for Maine businesses and Maine farms. That is one of the main focuses of the fair, that we normally only have Maine businesses,” Boucher said.
With the 40-year anniversary of the fair on the horizon, some things have changed, but a lot has stayed the same.
“I think that many of our values are the same — dedication, certified organic and local Maine farms and businesses. But the size has changed over the years in the fact that more people with great ideas are coming. We have had every area grow in size,” Boucher said.
As the fair has grown in size, the need for volunteers has grown as well. This year, over 2,200 people have offered to volunteer at the fair. Volunteers spend their time performing a range of tasks, from directing parking to helping with garbage and the composting process.
Many of the volunteers are college students.
UMaine second-year and sustainable agriculture student Alexis Strain is excited to volunteer for a second year.
“Last year I collected tickets and this year I will be working on the recycling and composting team. We take garbage and the compost and sort them and put them where they belong,” Strain said.
Another UMaine student seen at the fair is Grace Kavanah, a second-year nursing student who has an eye for art.
“I’ve been attending the fair since I was born, so this will be my 19th year, but I have never volunteered before,” Kavanah said. “I used to babysit a little girl and, last year, she ran something in the children’s tents and I figured, ‘if she could do it, I could.’ So this year, I will be face painting little kids and I am going to rock it.”
For Kavanah, she rocks a potato suit.
“My favorite part has got to be the vegetable parade and my favorite costume is this potato and it is actually structurally a potato that you put over your body. It has actual eyes painted on it to represent the real eyes of a potato. The vegetables hold signs that say things like ‘No GMO’ and it’s all just really awesome and really funny,” Kavanah said.
The Common Ground Country Fair runs from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27. Gates open at 9 a.m. with vendors closing shop at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The fairground is located at 294 Crosby Brook Road in Unity, Maine and tickets are being sold at local stores. In Orono, tickets can be purchased at The Store Ampersand. In Bangor, tickets are available at The Bangor Wine and Cheese Company, Bookmarks, Briar Patch and Central Street Farmhouse. Tickets are also available online through Brown Paper Tickets.
Those who don’t want to buy a $10 ticket but still want to go are allowed to sign up for the fair’s clean up weekend, which guarantees free entry into the fair in exchange for helping clean the fairgrounds on Oct. 3 and 4.
The Common Ground Fair has something for everyone. Whether it be great, organic food, animals, informative environmental procedures or all of the above, the opportunities are endless.