At the Fryeburg Fair

Yesterday was the opening day of the Fryeburg Fair, which is one of the classic New England fairs. Sure, there’s fried food and a midway, but the real show is in the barns, where there are 4-H kids dressed in white, tired looking parents, grandparents in overalls wielding pitchforks, and stalls full of animals.

Piglets are cute.

But they grow up to be this big, so I didn’t bring one home.

Speaking of big, look at these gorgeous spotted steers.

Even bigger, was this oxen team. I think they were the gentlest animals at the fair. The owner says they work for cheese doodles and head scratches.

I’d rather be around those massive oxen with their sharp horns, than this llama with her annoyed expression.

There were also border collies herding sheep, ginormous draft horses, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants, and a whole barnful of rabbits! I thought about taking this Harlequin bunny home.

But I didn’t. I did come home with maple sugar sprinkles and goat milk soap in the shape of a tractor, which was enough.

Comments:

  1. What great pics! I am in the market for a bunny after watching your dust bath video—seems like the perfect addition to our menagerie…the fair looks like so much fun!

    • As much as I love Candy, I’d recommend a bun with upright ears so that they stay clean and can help with temperature regulation. The ears hanging against the sides of the bunny don’t act as blood coolers like they should in the winter. And, they get dirty and need extra care.

  2. Thank you so much for the great pictures and the narrative about the fair and the animals. Personally I’d like to take that cute bunny home myself. With an elderly parent I can’t travel and get around like I would like to. It’s such a joy to come to your sight to just read and look. It’s like I’m there myself. Again—THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

  3. All great faces (those spotted steer faces are a bit unsettling) but none as good as Pip. He’s a hot ticket!