The Deerfield Fair

New Hampshire is blessed with many fantastic fairs and events scattered across the state and the Deerfield Fair is a gem. My wife and her family had visited and participated in the Deerfield Fair on a number of occasions so this trip made it onto the 2022 adventures to-do list.

This would be my first time attending it and I was excited to capture the sites and sounds for a fun post. The Fair runs for four days, Thursday through Sunday, and is held the last weekend of September into October.

For a list of events and festivals, you can click this hyperlink to my resources page, click on the category tab, and scroll to Events and Festivals. New Hampshire Magazine has a helpful article on Fairs and Festivals as well.

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Tractors and Engines

An old tractor and engine exhibit caught my eye early into our stroll. It included an amazing display of “hit-and-miss” engines and tractors. Check out the video above for a snippet of them in action. If you listen carefully, you can hear the distinct puffing sound they make.

They powered everything from wash machines to wood splitters, to saws back in their day. I’m sure they were a blessing to have around the home and farm. Conversely, it isn’t hard to see how dangerous they can be with all the exposed moving machinery and belts.

Here are a few pics of some of the beautifully restored tractors.

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Rides and Food

The Midway was filled with happy faces enjoying the rides and every kind of food from A to Z. In between strolling around, we made several stops for food throughout the day. There is nothing like fresh french fries from the fair!

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Horse Show

The Horse Show was impressive and we enjoyed hanging out for the ribbon ceremony. Not surprisingly, you could easily spend a couple of days exploring the Deerfield Fair and not see everything. It is worth scanning the schedules online beforehand and deciding what events on what days most appeal to you.

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Sheep Dog Herding Demonstration

One of our favorites was the Dog Herding Demonstration. The dogs were incredibly disciplined and it all seemed like an amazing choreographed dance between the dogs, the herder, and the sheep. Everyone was really into it and the kids were down close to the fence to get the best seats in the house.

Animal Displays

Fairs have their usual display of farm animals and the Deerfield Fair seemed second to none. It wouldn’t be a Fair without the sights, sounds, and smells of the animals!

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Promoting Local Family Farms

I have been to many Fairs in my lifetime but this one made me reflect on how important they must have been and are to local farms. What’s more, they provide a form of marketing and awareness about what these farms offer and how important they are to the New Hampshire economy.

Draft Horses

We didn’t have time to watch the draft horses in action but we were able to see the handlers getting them ready. What gentle giants they are. I imagine the term “workhorse” might have been derived from them!

Hopefully, you enjoyed this post on the Deerfield Fair. I found it to be a very well-organized event with plenty of parking and activities for everyone. Check their website out for the 2023 Fair or explore another NH Fair to attend.

Check out my post on beautiful Downtown Concord for another taste of New Hampshire’s Merrimack Valley Region.

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Until the next post: “Live Free and Explore!”