Behind the Scenes at the Topsfield Fair

It may turn 200 in 2018, but the appeal of the Topsfield Fair, half an hour north of Boston, never gets old.

By Yankee Magazine

Aug 24 2017

Among the many memorable images he brought back from Topsfield, Yankee senior photographer Mark Fleming has some personal standouts, including the one on this spread. “My favorite time to be at the fairgrounds was just after sunrise. Not only is the light beautiful, this is also when the farmers are tending their animals—who seem to be much more social and curious at this time of day, too. This gorgeous Texas longhorn was more than happy to pose for my camera!”

Photo Credit : Mark Fleming

From the day this year’s Topsfield Fair opens to its closing more than a week later, some 500,000 people will stroll its fairgrounds, half an hour north of Boston. Not many will know the deep history of the oldest agricultural fair in the country. And not knowing won’t affect their enjoyment of seeing farm animals up close, or watching the oxen and horse pulls in the arena, or ogling 1,000-pound pumpkins, or taking in the aroma of fried dough and the din of the midway. But knowing the past may well add a touch of wonder. Since the 1818 founding of its organizer, the Essex Agricultural Society, the Topsfield Fair has been interrupted only by the Civil War and World War II. The fair is both timeless and timely: When so many Americans seem more connected to the cloud than to the land, we realize we need this—and all country fairs—more than ever.

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Among the many memorable images he brought back from Topsfield, Yankee senior photographer Mark Fleming has some personal standouts, including the one on this spread. “My favorite time to be at the fairgrounds was just after sunrise. Not only is the light beautiful, this is also when the farmers are tending their animals—who seem to be much more social and curious at this time of day, too. This gorgeous Texas longhorn was more than happy to pose for my camera!”
*Photo Credit : Mark Fleming*

“There’s a certain pride among folks who come to the fair to compete,” Fleming says. “They spend the year honing their skills, many of which have been passed down through generations, all in preparation for their moment in the spotlight. Horsemanship is one of my favorite things to watch at the fair—from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who make an annual stop at Topsfield, to the local Barnstable Barn Burners show team, above.”
*Photo Credit : Mark Fleming*

“You haven’t had the full Topsfield experience until you’ve meandered the rows of the midway, fried dough in hand, as boisterous carnival workers invite you to be the next big winner. From pie contests to giant Ferris wheels, a fair is a mix of the ordinary and the outlandish, with each component somehow perfectly blending into the mosaic of New England rural life.”
*Photo Credit : Mark Fleming*

SEE MORE: More Scenes from the Topsfield Fair

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