BELCHERTOWN, Mass. (WWLP) – More fairs are taking place in our region this weekend, Saturday night we bring you to Belchertown where the fairground there was buzzing with excitement. 22News explains how this annual tradition honors the town’s rich agricultural roots.
Police search for driver of crashed stolen vehicle on New Ludlow Road in Granby Saturday night marked the second night of the 165th annual Belchertown Fair. For many, this is an annual tradition they love coming back to year after year.
“Everybody’s here, brings families together and their animals,” said Keith Sweat of Belchertown.
“It’s fun, it’s like memories,” added Cecilla Belieu of Russell.
“It’s small, it’s all American,” expressed Cindy Duprey of Chicopee.
And this year’s theme, “Barn in the USA” pays homage to Belchertown’s agricultural roots. “Your food doesn’t come wrapped up in plastic really, it’s grown whether it’s fresh vegetables or it’s meat or eggs and so we try to highlight that in all parts of the fair,” said Cindy Brown, Booth Space Coordinator.
People got to partake in agriculture traditions like horse and ox pulls, hail bail tosses, and challenge contests. “Today we put him in a show and I tried bunny jumping for the first time with him and it was really fun,” said Kylie Lyptak of Belchertown.
The fair also gave people the opportunity to donate to local causes. One cause people are trying to help is saving a historic barn at the New England Small Farm on Jackson Street in Belchertown. The barn has had minor repairs over the years but now needs a more serious repair.
“In a farming community everybody helps each other and that’s what we do here,” said Brown.
Vendors are also eager to gain some exposure for their businesses, “especially nowadays when everything is so hard and some people got to work for themselves do it the right way,” said Matthew Abelli of Matt’s Pellet Stove Sevice.
The fair is expected to draw in between 36,000 to 38,000 people by Sunday.
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