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Date: 8/11/2022
WESTFIELD – Truck and tractor pulls, live music, farm demonstrations, and of course, the food: a Westfield tradition has some big plans in place for 2022.
The Westfield Fair, now in its 94th year, is scheduled for Aug. 19-21 at 137 Russellville Rd., Westfield. Andrew Freniere, a member of the fair’s board of directors, said part of the fair’s appeal is that it’s “not small, not big,” an event that can be experienced all in one day.
“That’s the draw,” he said.
According to the fair’s web site, the three-day fair showcases the agricultural efforts of today’s farmers by hosting livestock shows and an exhibit hall filled with flowers, vegetables, handmade items and more.
The fair’s schedule has a wide array of events, including balloon sculpting, a hale bay toss, petting zoo, tractor pull, the Miss Westfield pageant, and performances by several local bands.
The fair was founded under the name of the Young People’s Agricultural Association in 1927. Later it was renamed the 4-H and Agricultural Society and again changed in 1953 to be incorporated as the Westfield Fair.
Freniere said one of the goals of the event – besides all the fun – is to educate people on farm life and where their food comes from. It can be a challenge sometimes, with the number of farms decreasing each year. Freniere said many on the board are farmers, and they encourage the vendors to add an educational aspect to their exhibits.
“We push for educating youth and adults about where the food comes from, where the clothes are made,” he said. “You start at the base – this is what a cow is.”
Each year the fair’s organizers try to add something new, and this year the addition will be tractor and lawnmower racing, run by the New England Lawnmower Racing Organization. Freniere said that the board attends other fairs to get ideas and if they see something they like, they’ll see about bringing it to Westfield. A midway with games and carnival rides is another new feature to the fair.
“As an association we’re always looking for new things to bring in,” he said. “People don’t want to do the same thing every year.