145th Agricultural Fair a good time for all

By Pat Waring - August 24, 2006

From the blue ribbons on squash and zinnias, sweaters and photos, alpaca and hay bales, to the armfuls of stuffed animals won at the carnival booths, to the sunny skies Sunday when rain was predicted, Lady Luck smiled on the 145th Agricultural Society Fair last weekend.

The annual four-day event drew fun-loving crowds to the Panhandle Road Fairgrounds in West Tisbury beginning Thursday morning. The area had been humming for days before, as crews spruced up the grounds, prepared the exhibition hall for entries, and took care of the massive volume of paperwork and coordination involved in making the popular yearly event happen. Rides and booths began arriving from off-Island early in the week, and on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning the fairgrounds were buzzing with Islanders delivering their entries and setting up their booths.

The hall was resplendent with hundreds of entries that fascinated and inspired visitors to the Agricultural Fair in West Tisbury all last weekend. Photo by Susan Safford

The Fair wound down early Sunday evening as vendors sold out their last meals, youngsters took a final ride, and fairgoers prepared reluctantly to return to business as usual after a weekend of relaxing and socializing Ag Fair style.

A total of 27,710 paying customers passed through the gates over the four days (not counting Ag Society members and booth workers and other staff). The figure is slightly down from last year's record high at 29,022.

"The economy is my guess," said Fair Manager Eleanor Neubert as to why attendance saw the small drop. She said that while Fair admission and parking charges remained constant, the public is simply being more careful with money. Many at the Fair said that prices, which have edged up over the years, especially for rides and games at the Cushing Carnival concessions, can be daunting, especially for families with several children all wanting a spin on the latest ride or to throw a dart or ball to win one more bear.

The new Friday night special was a welcome break - purchasing a $15 wristband entitled the wearer to as many rides as he or she could stomach in four hours between 6 and 10 pm. "Families who took advantage of it were thrilled," reported Ms. Neubert.

West Tisbury Fire Chief Manuel Estrella III said Monday that firefighters were pleased with the brisk trade done at the parking lot. Patrons pay $5 for a day of parking and proceeds are split between the fire department and Ag Society. The firemen's share goes to the department's scholarship fund, which offers generous support to college-bound Island grads.

The hall was resplendent with hundreds of entries that fascinated and inspired visitors to the Agricultural Fair in West Tisbury all last weekend. Photo by Susan Safford

No one was pinching pennies when it came to buying Fair memorabilia bearing art work by West Tisbury local Janice Haynes. The bright posters featuring a view from inside the hall sold out before Fair's end and many T-shirt sizes were gone quickly.

The carnival midway glittered with several new attractions, offering plenty of thrills and chills. But many patrons bemoaned the loss of the Gravitron, the flashing space-ship like ride that had whirled brave bodies into staggering oblivion for years. And would-be gamblers arriving with pockets full of quarters were desolate to realize the "quarter game" (or "color game") was nowhere to be found. Ms. Neubert could not account for the missing Gravitron, but said the popular gambling game was missing because of stringent state licensing requirements which the carnival company needs to bring up to date.

Across the Fairgrounds patrons ate their way through the local midway. Burgers from the West Tisbury Fire Department booth, Mexican fare from Zapotec, Cozy's hefty subs, Barbeque Bill's Vermont ribs, along with pizza and Martha's Vineyard clambake specialties were all hits. Tempura sizzled, French fries were drenched with cheese, and the new corn dog booth was well received. On the healthy side the Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School sold salad wraps, Mr. Smoothie whirred up fruit delicacies, and for dessert Dottie Price's white chocolate bread pudding was the talk of the Fair.

In between courses there was shopping to be done, everything from huge balloons and glowing plastic crowns and light-stick accessories to Beth McIlheny's jewelry to exotic clothing and jewelry at Michael Jordan and Leslie Grey's booth, which won a blue ribbon as 2006's Best Booth. Everyone loved the Island Affordable Housing booth where youngsters and the young at heart could purchase paint their own tiny bird houses for a small donation to the fund.

A packed entertainment schedule at the local midway stage included young people's shows, Kelly Peters's Hip-Hop group, and a wide variety of local musicians. A new instant hit, Li'l Anne and Cayenne heated up the stage Saturday night. Over near the hall, selectman and musician Tristan Israel and friends set up an Acoustic Music Corner featuring fiddling and folk in a low-key setting.

In one spacious tent, fiber artists spent the weekend demonstrating, teaching, and showing off the furry, docile animals from which their fiber comes.

Fair staffer Eve Heyman, wearing a double hat as Barn Manager and Entry Clerk, reported that both her departments ran smoothly. At 3,126, hall entries were down slightly from 2005's she said, attributing the drop to this year's poor growing conditions. But while produce and flower entries were fewer, there were many more in needlework categories, including a whopping 33 quilts. As always the hall was overflowing with the best from Island gardens, farms, studios, homes, and kitchens, a glorious sight to behold. Children's arts, crafts, and garden entries were an inspiration.

Ms. Heyman called it a great year for livestock and with 326 barn entries the stalls and cages were packed. A constant stream of animal lovers strolled through the barn, admiring ducks, geese, hens with and without chicks, furry bunnies, and all manner of sheep and goats. Ms. Heyman said there were more alpaca than ever (nine) and plenty of baby animals to please the crowds. Miniature horses and a huge Nip 'n' Tuck Farm sow with her piglets were special favorites.