“Come to the Fair,” the sign proclaims. And all the Island will. It’s the time that West Tisbury shines, as we welcome everyone to the Agricultural Hall and grounds for the 154th annual Agricultural Fair. It’s the culmination of summer, the time of bountiful garden displays, projects completed and delivered, the surrounding fields mowed. Booths and vendors, ferris wheel and carousel, all have appeared and will be ready when the gates open on Thursday morning.
Eleanor Neubert told me a bit about the returning exhibits everyone was asking about, and some new vendors for this year’s fair. Robinson’s Racing Pigs will be back, and Canine Stars, a group of rescue dogs trained to perform. There will be a new kiddie tractor pull using kid-size tractors with foot pedals. Lucky Bob, a magician and juggler; the Blue Hills Brass Quartet; and Sound Waves, an a capella group of MVRHS singers; will stroll the grounds and stop to entertain. There will be aprons, totes, T shirts, and posters for sale, all sporting Kathy Maghini’s winning design for this year’s fair poster — a strutting rooster who epitomizes the theme “Rise and Shine.” The Pie Chicks will be serving muffins in the morning and slices of pie à la mode the rest of the day and evening. Blissed Out smoothies and juices will be available. The Fiber Tent will have alpacas, llamas, sheep, and goats, spinners, weavers, knitters, and felters all day long. There will be prizewinning livestock and poultry, musicians on stage, contests galore. And Fire Department hamburgers. Practically everyone you know from all over the Island will be there. The Fair Ladies will be riding around on their golf carts, making sure all goes smoothly.
A big change to note: Dogs will not be allowed onto the fairgrounds this year, except entrants to the dog show on Sunday. I’m adding my personal admonishment and pet peeve: Please don’t plan to leave your dog in the car; it’s too hot.
With all her hard work, Eleanor has been grateful for extra help from her sister, Jean (Fischer) O’Reilly. Jean and her son, Andrew, are here from Dublin, Ohio, and staying with Eleanor. Jean’s daughter and son and daughter-in-law are here, too, all parceled out among other relatives at Flat Point, and all put to work at the fair.
I know lots of former “fair kids” will be home, many grown with their own families. Makes it extra-special having you all here.
No special events planned at the library, but some West Tisbury galleries and artists will be having openings. Elizabeth Langer will open her show at the Vineyard Playhouse this Saturday afternoon, August 22, with a reception from 4 to 6. The Granary Gallery will host artists Jeanne Staples, Ross Coppleman, and Don Wilks on Sunday afternoon, 5 to 7. The Field Gallery, Kara Taylor, and Allen Whiting will all be open.
Nadia Bollin, daughter of Peter Bollin, has visited her Island family from her home in St. Augustine, Fla. Nadia stayed with her aunt and uncle, Robyn and Simon Bollin, and cousins Kayleigh and Isabella, and Grandma Luisann Flanders. She will start ninth grade this fall when she returns home.
I read about an artist named Abbie Zabar, who did colored pencil drawings of the fabulous bouquets in the niches of the entry hall at the Metropolitan Museum over the past 10 years. I was thinking that might be something we West Tisbury artists might like to emulate. Sue Silva brings the most beautiful and bounteous bouquets to the library every week, and they would make wonderful subjects for artists to draw or paint. I suppose I should have mentioned this to Beth before putting it in the column. Just thinking.
It’s a short column this week. I have been busy with other things, especially getting our bedroom ready to start painting as soon as it cools down a little. I realized that the new closet doors deserve walls as freshly painted as they will be. I just can’t stop looking at them.