Tunbridge Fair

At least the little guy didn't have to pull the gals uphill!

Bob loves country fairs. I can enjoy one a year or so and I prefer to visit a different one if possible. I hadn't been to the Tunbridge Fair in over 25 years, so that's the one we picked. There's an old Vermont saying that the Tunbridge Fair is where men go with someone else's wife and a jug of whiskey. It's not quite like that any more.

We arrived just as the parade was beginning...

I now know how to take a pig for a walk!

We sure do love our flag...it becomes the decoration of choice.

There were kids of all ages...and calves of varied temperaments...some wanted to walk in the opposite direction.

The sheep were more willing to just follow along...

Some critters got to ride in the parade...

Notice that one fella hanging on to his wiggly duck!

They traveled a large circle...in the background the miniature horses are now catching up to the end of the parade!

We had arrived about noon and I'd only had a banana for breakfast. The first vendor was selling hot apple crisp with a scoop of ice cream. We decided to have lunch, beginning with dessert!

That's Bob waiting in line...


The main event for this afternoon was the ox pull, so we worked our way through the crowds to the open barn and the hard working oxen...

Some folk had seen enough so we luckily got seats on the bleachers...but there was no way to walk up the bleacher benches to reach those seats. Fortunately I have decent upper body strength and was able to pull myself onto the high bench...not a very lady-like maneuver, but much better than standing behind people much taller than me!

 For the oxen, pulling this much weight was a piece of cake...

Eventually the oxen pulled twice as many cement blocks as can be seen here.

What I found fascinating was the way the farmers handled their oxen. The youngest fellow had a lot to learn. He acted like an angry bully, whipping his oxen in the face, and got the poorest performance. Thankfully, no one else behaved the way he did.

This farmer was a delight to watch...

He never yelled at his team. He would tap them with the stick so they would know when to turn. He was calm, the oxen were calm, and the rapport between beast and man was obvious.

The fellow walking behind is carrying the hook that he will attach to the loaded sled once the oxen turn around and are in position to pull.

Below is another team...

There were all sorts of exhibits. This was the ultimate reversal of "don't play with your food." I got a chuckle out of the blue fish...

Then came the adult crafts and a bigger fish...

No fair is complete without the pumpkin contest. Bob said that the Rutland fair had a bigger pumpkin, but the 675 pound winner here can make more than enough pies for any size family!

Note the stuffed (pun intended) "families" in the background, riding in carriages. 

One building was devoted to vegetables. I don't know what makes one green bean better than another when they look identical, but if blue ribbons encourage food gardening, hand out more blue ribbons!

I grew lots of those delicata (yellow with green stripes) squash...some day I'll give myself a ribbon

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this stuffed monkey. One year a student left a similar monkey in my classroom. He stayed there for many years. We even used him as Richard III when we did the research comparing history to Shakespeare's version and then put Richard III on trial for the murder of his young nephews. One of the local lawyers came in to act as the judge. Poor Richard lost his case and we hung him out the window from our third floor classroom.

There was also a museum section to the fair.

This woman was demonstrating candle making.
Another was playing an old organ. Someone else was preparing a meal as it would have been done years ago in a fireplace.


There was also an old-fashioned store...

This gal was carding wool and then spinning it into thread.


The schoolroom was in its own small building.


Even the kids were dressed in old-fashioned garb...

Then there was music and suddenly these monkeys showed up...

This fellow spent his day making shingles. It was the one thing I actually remembered having seen the last time I had been at this fair!

Across the way another fellow was making wood water pipes. He had a scooped knife on a long pole and was slowly hand-drilling a hole into a long log.

Bob said that some of those wood pipes are still in use. Amazing.

 
One barn was full of old carriages. I laughed. How can I compare these treasures to the old carriages covered in gold that I saw in France?



If you couldn't afford to keep a horse, there was always pedal power for getting around...

There were a number of rides that were definitely designed to make people sick if the junk food didn't kill them first. Neither Bob nor I was interested in spoiling a pleasant day!

The carousel might have tempted me, but it was crammed in-between other tents and didn't look very enjoyable.

Fall color hadn't arrived, but below is a roadside scene we passed on our way home...