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Date: 8/24/2022
BLANDFORD – With tractor pulls, livestock shows, live music, food, and the ever-popular midway, there’s excitement in the air as people await the annual Blandford Fair.
Now in its 153rd year, this will mark the fair’s official return since the COVID-19 cancellations. Matt Ripley, the fair’s executive vice president, said the public is happy to see the event come back “bigger and stronger than ever.”
“We’re really excited to come back from the two-year hiatus and put COVID[-19] behind us,” said Ripley, adding that the aside from COVID-19, the fair has only been cancelled three times.
Set for Sept. 2-5 at the Blandford Fair Grounds, the event will be similar to years past, with horse shows, antique cars, a demolition derby, and lots of great food. Ripley credited the fair’s board of directors and volunteers for their hard work over the past few months, as well as the area businesses that offer support.
“We’re nothing without them,” said Ripley. “It takes a huge amount of dedication.”
According to its website, the Blandford Fair is a non-profit organization, created by the Union Agricultural and Horticulture Society in 1867. It has become an annual exhibition event on Labor Day weekend. Fair funding is provided, in part, by the Massachusetts Arts Council and the state Department of Agriculture.
One of the goals of the fair – aside from creating a memorable weekend – is to support the agricultural and horticultural roots on which it was founded. Ripley said this can be seen in a number of ways, such as the cow, sheep, horse, and goat shows.
“We’re pretty grounded in the agricultural part of it and we continue to support that,” said Ripley.
When it comes to a particular draw for the fair, Ripley said this varies. It could be the tractor pulls or demolition derby, or maybe the food stalls and vendors.
Ripley’s father has been the superintendent of livestock for the past 50 years and is a vice president of the fair, and the Ripley family has been part of the fair for four generations. Matt Ripley joined the board of directors 17 years ago, eventually becoming executive vice president in 2018.
“It’s that dedication to the fair and community involvement and continuing to help out and make sure it’s there for the next generation,” said Ripley.
Admission to the fair is $10 for adults, $5 for military and seniors, free for children 12 years of age and younger. Parking on the grounds is $5. Gates open at 4 p.m. on Sept. 2, and at 8 a.m. on Sept. 3, 4 and 5.
The 54th annual Art Show will run all four days of the fair. Blandford Fair events on Sept. 2 include the midway, Bingo and truck pulls; on Sept. 3, the midway, youth dairy and youth sheep, family games, horse draws, horse show, and sheep and beef cattle show; on Sept. 3, the horse show, family games, ox draw, adult dairy cattle show and youth goat show; and on Sept. 5, antique cars, the pedal tractor pull, demolition derby and family games.