UNITY – The 28th annual Common Ground Country Fair will be the weekend of Sept. 24 to Sept. 26 at the home of the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association. The fair celebrates rural and sustainable living in Maine.
The fair has no midway carnivals, fast food or games of chance. Instead, more than 150 talks, demonstrations and exhibits each day focus on healthy and environmentally sound living, organizers say. The fair’s activities are spread out over 35 acres of land that has perennial gardens, walkways, orchards, and rest and relaxation areas.
A new farm and homesteading area features things from finely made hand gardening tools to a solar tractor, or fishing nets. The animal products area offers people opportunities to talk to farmers familiar with llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep and rabbits, and to purchase their products.
In the Native American arts and education area, members of Maine’s four tribes seek to provide a true view of Maine Indians and their heritage. There also will be some new vendors in the Native American area.
This year, the folk arts area will begin a new educational program featuring an individual Maine craftsperson. An artist will be chosen to represent a particular craft, and support materials and activities will give fairgoers a deep understanding of the chosen folk tradition. This year, the association is featuring Maine inland boat building and the folk artist in residence is Rollin Thurlow, a master canoe builder from Atkinson in Piscataquis County.
The Common Ground Fair has some of the most delicious food of any fair in Maine, organizers say, and that’s combine that with its commitment to support Maine-grown and organic edibles.
On Friday morning, Sept. 24, some judges will be chosen from the general public arriving at the fair. There will be five adults giving multiple awards to food vendors, and five children judging desserts only for the “Better than Chocolate – Children’s Favorite Award.” After a brief training, these fairgoers/judges will be set loose in the food area where they will sample every offering at no charge. Judges will bring results to the Fair Food Committee, which will tally the evaluations and present awards at the Spotlight Stage on Friday evening at 5:30. New this year at Spotlight Stage, will be tables and chairs where people can sit, eat and listen to the tunes.
This celebration of rural living offers something for everyone, in a traditionally festive atmosphere, organizers say. The Common Ground Country Fair blends the best of traditional with the best of modern-day living in Maine, and shows fairgoers how they can incorporate sustainable living practices into their own daily routines.
For an up-to-date events list or more information on the fair, people can visit www.mofga.org.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
