A Record Year for The Tunbridge Fair! 

The horse pulls at the Tunbridge World's Fair draw enormous crowds, some of them arriving hours ahead of schedule to reserve their seats in the arena. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

By Sara Nelson

Mostly good weather contributed to a "spectacular weekend" for the Tunbridge World's Fair, according to fair president Euclid Farnham.

Despite an overcast and somewhat rainy Saturday, a record 55,000 folks made the pilgrimage to the four-day festival.

However, even Saturday's fairgoers weren't complaining too much as they traversed the occasionally-muddy fairgrounds.

"I've never experienced anything like this," said Marissa Vahlsing, a New Jersey native who sampled maple candy as her boyfriend, Tev Kellman of Chelsea, debated whether to make a trip to see the giant pumpkins or the oxen-pull.

In the end they did both. The couple also trekked through the chicken barn, where Kellman tried to identify breeds he'd raised that summer.

Farnham said the entertainment tent was "packed" this year during performances by two clogging groups, a country singer, and the Moonlighters Big Band, which also attracted "lots of dancers."

"The only casualty of the rain was the cavalcade of animals- it was just too muddy for it," Farnham said. Other than that, Farnham said the events went smoothly.

"Problems came up, but they were small problems that we could handle. It's really kind of amazing when you think about how many people are involved," he said.

Farnham speculated that the fair's family friendliness, including its policy of free admission for children, was a major factor in its continued success. For the second year this year, Sunday was billed as "family day" and Farnham said an air show, horse show, ATV-pulls and other "family things" attracted 1000 more people this year.

Farnham said the fair's commitment to agriculture also sets it apart.

"Many fairs these days are more commercial, more like carnivals. There are fairs in Massachusetts that have to rent a cow!"

In contrast, "we had to put up tents to shelter all the animals" who visited the Tunbridge Fair.

"That's a wonderful problem to have," Farnham said.

Cattle superintendent Rob Howe said between 180-190 cattle were exhibited this year.

"The quality of the entries was up considerably and we had a number of rare breeds entered as well."

Howe praised the "super job" exhibitors did this year with their exhibits, which he said were educational and good-looking.

"One of the thing's that's special about our fair is that it maintains the old style of buildings, where people can walk right up to the animals," Howe said.

"People can really get up close and personal with the cows."

As mother-daughter duo Karen and Marlis Eddy of Randolph can attest, the same is also true of the horses. On Saturday the Eddys were meandering through the horse stalls, making a point to pet every friendly horse.

"It's tradition," said Marlis.

The women were delighted by a sign posted near the stall of a friendly brown horse. It read: "I like to give kisses."

The Eddy's also wound their way through the exhibits on antique hill, sipping fresh-pressed cider and discussing design of the antique flax-spinning machines.

They noticed that there was more civil-war era equipment this year, an observation that would make Farnham happy.

"We're always trying to improve and change the exhibits on antique hill," he said.

"No other fair in the area has anything like it," he said.