Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. X X V N OV E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 26 T hrowing a small beanbag at a wall of inflated balloons is not as easy as it looks. But who needs aim in this hoot of a game at the Fryeburg Fair, whose prizes range from bright yellow pretend corn-on-the-cobs to pastel- hued stuffed elephants and Pokémon- type creatures? "Everyone wins a prize no mat- ter what," says gamekeeper Isiah Verschoor. Some 160,000 people paid to attend this year's edition of the Fryeburg Fair, whose roots go back to 1851 in this 3,400-population town near the New Hampshire border. e event was back to its regular eight- day schedule after last year's con- troversial nine-day format pinched business from the rival Cumberland Fair. Comparing the same eight-day periods, attendance in Fryeburg was 11,000 higher this year. Vendors from near and far reported brisk business through the last day. "It's been really good the past two days," Verschoor, bundled in purple- and-black Cushing Amusements garb, says as midday approaches. "Today, we've had about 10 people win." Held every October, the Fryeburg Fair is the traditional end to Maine's summer and fall fair season, which pours $167 million into the state's economy annually. e 25-event lineup blends agricultural education and showmanship — including pig scrambles for young farmers-in-train- ing — with crafts, carnival rides and down-home cooking. While statewide attendance data won't be out until December, Barry Norris, executive director of the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs, expects a strong showing fueled by good weather. On the last day at the Fryeburg Fair, the Sunday program was packed with events, from high-energy dances by the Stomp & Shine Cloggers to four-wheel-drive truck pulls. Beyond the maze of rides and other attractions on the Midway, one colorful food kiosk after another — how about sprinkled cheesecake-on- a-stick to go with that turkey shank and fries? — can test the limits of even the heartiest of stomachs. Debbie Wakefield, the town clerk of nearby Baldwin, is laden with large stuffed toys her 10-year- old granddaughters had won as the girls enjoy a ride. "I would go on it too, but somebody has to hold the animals," she says. Hummingbird feeders, handbags, home décor At a corner booth inside the Expo Center, Rob Frank came all the way from Texas to hawk hum- mingbird and oriole bird feeders for KSCanuck, at a fraction of the $50 online price. "You get two for $65, which is a little bit better. My best deal is my show special … anytime three or more leave my booth, the price goes down to $30 each," he rattles off in a rapid- fire pitch along with a quick demo of the device, with dividers on the clear bottom to allow for easy nectar filling topped by a dozen red feeding ports in a flower-like structure. Grabbing what he calls a Chinese knockoff, he offers his take: "Polycarbonate, cheap plastic. Handle breaks. Ours never leak. Lifetime guarantee. Bear destroys our feeder, we replace it for free. Anyplace that sells Chinese stuff, they sell it for a lot less. You get what you pay for." Although Fryeburg is smaller than some of the fairs Frank and his wife have visited in other parts of the country over the past two months including the "insane" Minnesota State Fair, he sums up his business this season in a single word: "Awesome." In another strategic corner spot at the other end of the hall, Kristina Street Sense by Renee Cordes, Mainebiz deputy editor, is a monthly column offering on-the-ground glimpses of small business life in Maine. Renee can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz Street Sense Ticket to ride Vendors from near and far ring up sales at Fryeburg Fair For Isiah Verschoor, everyone's a winner at the Fryeburg Fair. Dining on the go on the Midway. P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R

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