Scenes from the Topsfield Fair

The promise of prizes to be won at a game in the midway.
Credit: Mark Fleming A fair can change a lot in two centuries. The Topsfield Fair has evolved to include a bustling midway that serves up classic fair food like fried dough and apple crisp, plus amusement rides and games for all ages; it also features attractions such as the Flying Wallendas and rodeo sports including bull riding and barrel racing. Still, its agricultural roots remain strong. There are milking demonstrations in the cattle barn, and a livestock show highlights 4-H and youth entries. The Grange Museum houses historical material related to area farms as well as promotes the work of local 4-H youth groups. And the famous giant pumpkin contest has only grown in size since a Guinness World Record was awarded in 2002 to Charlie Houghton of New Boston, New Hampshire, for his pumpkin weighing 1,337.6 pounds — and recent years have seen pumpkins weighing in at over 2,000 pounds! The experience of this classic fall fair in New England is not to be missed, so mark your calendars for September 29 – October 9, 2017. Below are a collection of images celebrating the Topsfield Fair by Yankee senior photographer Mark Fleming, who turned his camera on the event for the September/October 2017 Yankee feature “Behind the Scenes at Topsfield Fair.”

SCENES FROM THE TOPSFIELD FAIR