30 Days til Fryeburg Fair 2025 - September 27 thru October 5!

30 DAYS

TIL FRYEBURG FAIR 2025 - 9 FULL DAYS!

SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 5

A MESSAGE FROM FRYEBURG FAIR PRESIDENT DAVE HASTINGS

Hello Fairgoers - In only 30 days we'll be opening the gates to our 175th annual Fryeburg Fair. This is our first year extending our schedule to include two full weekends - 9 days in all. We've created an opening Saturday that includes new events like Lawn Mower Races and a Keg Throw (yes it's empty!) with some of our forever favorites like horse & oxen pulling, a night show and a fireworks show. You'll find more details below and in our program. Everything is on our website at www.fryeburgfair.org.

In 1851, Fryeburg Fair was created by friends and neighbors celebrating farming, agriculture and their harvests. Today Fryeburg Fair is still run the same way. Some of today's Fair people are descended from those original leaders and farmers and good time folks! I wish to thank all our hard working employees, trustees, departments, exhibitors, farmers, and most especially you for supporting Fryeburg Fair. Thank you. And see you at the Fair! Dave

HERE'S THE SCOOP!

Fryeburg Fair, established in 1851, expands to nine-days this year! The 175^th annual Fryeburg Fair runs Saturday, September 27 thru Sunday, October 6^th, 2025.

Tickets are $15/day. Night Shows are included in that price. Children under 12 are always free. Tuesday, September 30th is Senior Citizen’s Day and fairgoers 65 & over are free. Daily tickets can be pre-purchased online or at the gate. Weekly passes (all 9 days) are $115 and must be purchased in person at the Fair. Gates are open daily at 7 am and close at 10 pm (later with large crowds).

Our full program is on our website www.fryeburgfair.org and our Facebook & Instagram pages.

From the Archives - 1977 - this young man, Randy Hall, Grand Champion 4-H'er '77 has been our

Beef Department Superintendent at Fryeburg Fair for the last 17+ years!

Opening day 2025 - Saturday, September 27 highlights include Sheep Dog Trials, Flower Shows, Kids Pedal Tractor Pull, Lawn Mower Races, a Men’s Keg Throw, Ox & Draft Horse Pulls, our Night Show with Breakin’ Strings & Fireworks! And all the food selections, rides & entertainment required to make it a GRAND opening!

Livestock Shows run every day with multiple breeds of cows, horses, oxen, sheep, goats, swine, rabbits and poultry. Refer to our program for times & locations. Our show draft horse competitions are a must-see experience. Hope Ricker, Superintendent of Show Draft Horses says, “Fryeburg Fair is host to the largest draft horse and pony shows in Maine. Exhibitors from five states and New Brunswick, Canada, exhibit their equine starting at 8:30 am on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at the Grandstand in hitch competitions from single cart to the eight horse hitch. Also, we have the halter show in the pulling ring on Tuesday afternoon and all hitches participate in Saturday’s Grand.

New this year! Lawn Mower Races on Saturday, September 27th 1 pm at the Grandstand

New this year is our Agricultural Discovery Center. Located in the former Horse Drawn Wagon Building, Superintendent Katherine Kugelman reports, “The Agricultural Discovery Center will have several different display areas focusing on Maine agricultural commodities, as well as farming, gardening, and the importance of agriculture in our lives today. Fairgoers will have hands-on opportunities at some of our exhibits. And they can watch demonstrations, and listen to presentations from several different experts on their specific agricultural commodity throughout the week. Our Agricultural Explorer Scavenger Hunt is happening for kids again this year!”

Another great addition for 2025 is our new Garden Center featuring display areas, a specially designed and brand new greenhouse with raised beds built from old horse stall boards! This is a great building for garden enthusiasts and according to David Andrews, General Superintendent at Fryeburg Fair, “This is quite an upgrade from the former garden center, has a lot more light and is a bit bigger.” Jen Coen, owner of Heart & Hand, Inc. in Brownfield and Superintendent of the Garden Center says, “We’re going to have a few different groups doing educational displays featuring the observation hive of honey bees, worms and my business, Heart & Hand. We have 12 raised beds and will feature growing lavender, edible flowers that add color to salads and are good for you! As well culinary herb gardens with coordinating recipes available.”

Woodsmen’s Field Day is on Monday, September 29th starts at 9 am and runs all day. This 57th annual event is one of the largest spectator woodsmen’s event in North America. Contestants compete in 30 woods skills events such as crosscut, axe throwing, standing block chop, bow sawing, chainsawing events and tree felling.

Let’s talk about tossing & throwing things! New this year is the premiere of our Men’s Keg Throw! It’s on the first Saturday at 2 pm. The keg weighs 23 pounds. All strongmen, sign up at the Livestock Office by noon. The Women’s Skillet Throw, open to all gals with good throwing arms, starts at noon on Monday (9/29) followed directly by the Men’s Anvil Toss. Sign up on Monday by 10:30 am at the Livestock Office. Annette Bennett Metcalf, owner of The Country Skillet Restaurant in Naples, Maine, is in charge of these toss events. “Really looking forward to our first annual keg throw and setting some new Fair records! We have about 125 women that participate in our skillet toss every year. The skillet weighs around 5 lbs and the record is 64.9 feet is held by Maggie Schofield. The anvil weighs 14.75 lbs and the record throw is 43.1 feet and held by Joe Goodwin. We have throwers from as far away as Alaska!”

We welcome everyone to be an integral part of Fryeburg Fair by entering your best garden vegetables, baked goods, quilts, canned/jarred/preserved foods, photographs, artwork, oil paintings, plants, floral arrangements, crocheting, sewing (and so much more!) for judging at our Agricultural Exhibition Center. Easy online entry by August 15^th at www.fryeburgfair.org. Five competitive Baking Contests take place during the Fair – enter by 12:45 day of event. Find Baking Contest categories and rules at www.fryeburgfair.org.

Our Farm Museum is the best place to experience our Maine history of agriculture and farming. Curator Erlon Jones says, “This year we will be featuring several new exhibits as well as continuing our most interesting and popular old-time demonstrations. The museum will be opening its new addition on our big barn which will feature period craft demonstrators that will be showing loom weaving, treadle sewing machines, sock darning, and spinning. Our machinery area will show live machinery and antique tractor exhibits, including our blacksmith shop, and Loretta's Kitchen which is a must see for any fairgoer. The museum looks forward to welcoming families and fairgoers of all ages to our area of the fairgrounds, where everyone makes new friends and meets up with old ones.”

Let’s talk food options at Fryeburg Fair. So much to try and love! According to our online Survey 2024, everyone’s a Foodie at Fryeburg Fair. The options are amazing - making final eating decisions a competition in itself! The key to no weight gain – keep walking! When you want to rest, we have seating everywhere.

Harness Racing so fun to watch & bet! The horses, jockeys, trainers & owners put their heart into their sport. Come out and cheer them on! We run at the track Tuesday thru Saturday at 1:30 pm and Sunday at noon.

Our Mechanical Pulls start on Sunday, September 28 at 4 pm with the Tractor & Big Rig Pull. On Tuesday tractor pulls at the Swine & Goat Grandstand start at 9 am and include lawn and garden size up to full-size tractors. Tuesday is also Antique Tractor Show Day and they are displayed on the north side of the Swine & Goat Grandstand. The 4x4 Truck Pull is on the last Sunday, October 5th starting at 3:30 pm.

Dreamland Amusements, back for their 4^th year at Fryeburg Fair, promises incredible rides as always! There’s a big bargain happening on the first Saturday (9/27)! Ride bracelets are $17.50 – that means unlimited rides for a single rider! Purchase 10 Tickets for $17.50 (1 Ticket per ride) for multiple users. Unlimited ride wristbands are $35 on the Sundays (9/28 and 10/5), Friday (10/3), and the last Saturday (10/4). $30 Monday (9/29), Tuesday (9/30), Wednesday (10/1) and Thursday (10/2). Dreamland tickets can be purchased online and credit cards are always accepted on site. Go to their website www.dreamlandamusements.com for ride & ticket info. Follow our Facebook page for pre-Fair ride bracelet sales.

Our 2025 Night Show roster brings you Breakin’ Strings (Bluegrass-Sat, Sept 27), Rek’-lis (Classics-Mon, Sept 29), Face 2 Face - Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel (Rock-Tue, Sept 30), Chase Matthew (Country-Wed, Oct 1), The Outlaws (Southern Rock-Thu, Oct 2), Julia Cole (Country-Fri, Oct 3) and Paulino & The Great Escape (Tribute to Journey-Sat, Oct 4). All Night Shows start at 8 pm at the Grandstand and are included in our daily ticket price of $15.

The Grand Parade on Saturday, October 4th begins at 10 am. Grab your coffee and breakfast and don’t miss this narrated showcase of the Fair’s best livestock, floats, bands, businesses and antique cars.

Camping at Fryeburg, Maine’s largest fair, provides the shortest commute! We have 3,000 campsites and one with your name on it. For reservations, call 207-935-2912 or email camping@fryeburgfair.org.

Getting here & traffic – Our rural roads require everyone’s compliant participation. Traffic leaving from the Swan’s Falls Gate (south of the Main Gate) must turn South when exiting. North of the Main Gate must turn North when leaving. Our employees will direct you. Always best to arrive early and stay late. Plenty of seating and resting spots at the Fair. Weekends and perfect fall weather days are busiest. Adjust your plans accordingly. The good news – our ticket lines move fast and even faster if you buy them online!

A couple of important safety notes for fairgoers. As always, no weapons are allowed on Fryeburg Fairgrounds. Metal detectors are in use at entrance gates. And. No dogs or pets are allowed at Fryeburg Fair.

Our full program is available on our social pages, at www.fryeburgfair.org, and printed copies are on site.

Fryeburg Fair. A family tradition. Love it as a child and come back with your own children and grandchildren. We’ll be waiting for you.

4-H IS AT THE HEART OF AGRICULTURE

DON'T MISS THE SHOWS & AUCTIONS!