The Cumberland County Fair is one of the biggest fairs of the fall season. The 136th annual fair starts on Sunday and runs through Saturday, Sept. 29. The fair is held at the Cumberland Fairgrounds, at 197 Blanchard Rd. in Cumberland.
Admission to the fair is $7 on weekdays and $9 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Senior Citizens and students ages 10-12 are $2. Children under 10 are free. Weekly passes are $35. No dogs are allowed on fairgrounds unless they are working dogs.
Fair history
The very first Cumberland Fair was held for two days in October of 1868 in the center of town. The land for the fair was provided by Capt. Enos Blanchard. The ladies had an opportunity to show all who attended what marvelous cooks they were and what fine needlework they could do.
Farmers brought their biggest and best-tasting vegetables. Those men with working steers could show off their teams in strength and coordination contests. Local horsemen raced their finest steeds on Main Street, from the junction of Tuttle Road and Blanchard Road to Greely Road. And so the fair began.
A few years later, a one-third mile track was laid out and constructed in the pasture behind the Center burying ground.
Seven years after the first fair, a group of prominent Cumberland citizens, including Eliphalet Greely, petitioned the state to formally incorporate the Cumberland Farmer’s Club. The petition was approved in February of 1875.
In 1917 fire destroyed the exhibition hall and due to World War I and the worldwide flu epidemic, the hall was not rebuilt until 1921.
In 1938 a new grandstand was built. In 1941 a clay track was built. In 1945 electricity was installed. In 1946 telephones were installed. The grandstand at the pulling ring and the restaurant were built in 1947. In 1948 lights were installed around the track for night racing and the first calf scramble was held in 1953.
Throughout the past 136 years continuous improvements have been made at the fairgrounds to make it into one of the finest fairgrounds in the state.
Main events
Each day at the fair will feature a pig scramble, a flower show, midway games and rides, and exhibitions of all types. The midway opens each day at 11 a.m.
A special treat will be professional bull riders and rodeo shows. The bullriders show will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. The Friday Night Rodeo will be held on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. and the Grand Finale Rodeo will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m.
Entertainment
The live entertainment at the Cumberland County Fair is practically endless but includes these crowd favorites – The Don Cambell Band, Rick Charette, Debbie Myers, Jennie Paquette, The Old Time Radio Gang and the Windham Chamber Singers, among others.
Maine State Pumpkin and Squash Weigh-In
During the fair this year the 20th annual Maine State Pumpkin and Squash Weigh-In will be one of the major attractions.
To be eligible for the contest each pumpkin and squash entered must be grown and cared for, from seed to harvest, and exhibited by the grower.
The number of entries in each category is limited to one adult and up to three children per family for giant pumpkins, squash and Jack-O-Lanterns.
All specimens will be weighed on a certified scale. When it comes time for the weigh-in, all vines must be trimmed to within one inch of the stem of the fruit. The judges have the right to inspect any and all fruit before weights and measurements become official.
Each entry must be sound, healthy and undamaged. In other words the fruit must be free of rot, holes or cracks and serious soft spots. Each giant pumpkin or squash must weigh at least 100 pounds to be entered.
Fruit will be accepted at the designated gate only, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23. The contest will begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday. All Jack-O-Lanterns will be moved to the exhibition hall after being weighed.
A squash must be 100 percent green, blue or gray, or a combination of those colors. Pumpkins will be classified as all fruit not meeting the definition of a squash. The winner is the heaviest pumpkin or squash by weight.
Prizes range from $6 for Jack-O-Lanterns up to $500 for the largest adult-grown pumpkin.
Harness racing
Harness racing is a big part of the attraction at the annual Cumberland Fair. Racing starts on Sunday, Sept. 23 and ends on Sept. 30.
Racing dates: Post time:
Sept. 23 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 3 p.m.
Sept. 25 3 p.m.
Sept. 26 3 p.m.
Sept. 27 3 p.m.
Sept. 28 3 p.m.
Sept. 29 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 1:30 p.m.
Call 829-5531, or go online to www.cumberlandfair.com, for more information about this year’s events.
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