Keeping th e fair alive
Aggie fairs s urvive finan cial challeng decline in vo es, lunteers and attendance By Jennifer Huberdeau On a cool June evening, the grounds of the Adams Agricultural Fair in Adams, Mass., are empty and quiet. Its grasses wave in the breeze. In just two months’ time, the smell of popcorn, fried dough and cotton candy will waft through the air. Bowe Field, the proper name of the
fairgrounds, will be bustling with activity: horse and oxen pulls, cattle and sheep judging, live music, a rodeo and a demolition derby. As American as apple pie, the agricultural fair is the harbinger of the harvest season’s arrival. The modern day fair is now synonymous with fall’s impending arrival, livestock competitions, contests to see
who can grow the largest vegetables and carnival rides. But on this evening, the cattle and poultry barns at the Adams fairgrounds are empty. The only activity is in the exhibit hall, where a small group of volunteers has gathered. The task at hand is an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet — a fundraiser
ABOVE: Joey Kristoff is bucked off his horse in the 2018 bronco-riding competition in the Double M Rodeo at the Adams Agricultural Fair. Berkshire Eagle File Photo
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to help pay the fees needed to bring in the popular Double M Rodeo show as part of the fair’s entertainment offerings. “We brought in the rodeo for the first time two years ago. It was very successful, but it’s also very expensive,” said Elizabeth Randall, a member of the
