Tunbridge World's Fair
Has Best Weekend Ever
By M. D. Drysdale

The lights of the midway at the World's Fair in Tunbridge. The 135th Fair attracted about 50,000 people to the scenic fairgrounds.

"I'm in a state of euphoria," was the cogent comment of Euclid Farnham, president of the Tunbridge World's Fair, after last weekend's 135th annual celebration.

"Virtually everyone connected with the fair is in a state of euphoria," Farnham elaborated Monday morning, still basking in the glow of one of the most successful fairs ever in the world's most picturesue fairgrounds.

A little rain kept the crowds down "slightly" on Thursday, but the next three days built success upon success upon success. The overall admissions may have broken the record of more than 50,000, he said.

Saturday, he said was the best Saturday ever, while Friday was one of the best, and Sunday's attendance equalled last year.

That was an important experience, because the build-up to this year's fair was enlivened by controversy, after the directors decided to cancel the traditional Sunday demolition derby after a 30-year run. Those disappointed in the decision even staged a boycott attempt, placing signs on Routes 14 and 110 calling for the boycott.

The controversy simply didn't make any difference in Sunday's attendance, Euclid said, while declaring that he understood the disappointment of the derby fans.

"It was really beyond our control," he said in defending the change. "We had to cut expenses."

To help make up for the loss of the demo derby, the Fair declared Sunday to be Family Day, with free admissions for children and teens, and free grandstand events.

"It worked," Farnham said Monday. "You should have seen all the families.

"All the baby strollers and toddlers made it almost impossible to walk up the midway—and that was wonderful!" he enthused.

And the grandstand event that replaced the demo derby—a pulling contest by lawnmower tractors—worked out well, too, he said.

There were something like 80 entries, Farnhamd said. "They were all over the place."

Significantly, the grandstands were full, he said.

Sunday held another new piece of excitement with what turned out to be a terrific air show right over the fairgrounds. Pilot Jim Parker roared down the valley, trailing a plume of smoke. He climbed straight up "to astronomical heights" then plunged straight down into a series of loop-de-loops, said an admiring Farnham.

The time was, years ago, when a hugely successful Tunbridge Fair meant more than a fair number of police interventions, both at the fair and on the roads. However, the atmosphere of the fair has changed so much that enfocement was nearly unneeded, Farnham said.

"The lack of incidents is the happy news," he said. "Our worst problems now are locked cars and lost kids—and we found all the parents," he said.

"It was just an incredible fair."