Cape Cod - Index

Cape Cod - travel_guide_2008 - Index

“It truly is Cape
Cod’s biggest
summer party.”
— Wendy Brown, Barnstable County Fair
general manager
“In this day and age, the fair is the one place which brings
people back to a simpler time,” he says. “I’ve got three kids, and
the fair is a great way to bring my family together to do something
fun. This fair focuses on family–that’s the draw. We don’t sell beer
or wine. We don’t offer bingo. It’s clean and it’s safe. That’s what
stands out.”
Austin notes that the fair’s varied attractions are kept separate
from each other. “We isolate things,” he says. “The big rides are in
their own area, separate from the kiddie rides. Each attraction has
its own place.”
Austin says the fair’s broad appeal attracts different groups.
“You’ve got people who come for the animals. You’ve got people
who come for the rides, and others who come for the food.
You’ve got people who come for the concerts and music. The fair
has something to offer to almost everyone,” he says.
WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN
The fair is run and financed through the Barnstable
County Agricultural Society. Because the agricultural
society is a non-profit, it plows profits from the fair back
into the community once expenses are met. Today, the society
awards $35,000 in scholarships to about 50 applicants who intend to
further their education in agricultural-related studies, marine
biology or home economics. In addition, the society gives away
more than $4,000 “to organizations providing community service
on Cape Cod,” with special consideration given to “groups involved
in livestock, agriculture and horticultural areas,” the society’s
guidelines state.
“We do more than $1 million over the nine-day run,” General
Manager Wendy Brown says. “But it’s all community based.” And
it’s been that way since October 1844, when the Barnstable County
Agricultural Society held its first fair near the county courthouse
in Barnstable Village, just off what is now Route 6A. Nothing
Top: Volunteer April Goodwin assists in the cattle show.
Bottom: Fair historian Carol Sisson discusses old farming tools
with Bob Savage.
www.capecodtravelguide.com
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