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Community Corner

Haddam Neck Fair: The Show Will Go On

Hurricane Irene can't stop 100th anniversary of fabled fair.

Good news in the post-Irene disaster scene!

Despite rampant area power outages, the Haddam Neck Fair will open as usual at 4 p.m. on Friday. Haddam Neck Fair President, Diane McHutchison, officially announced the opening on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Until that word came, tensions ran as high as many of the former power lines, now downed.

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"A lot of people were uncertain; it was our biggest fear," McHutchison asserted.

"We can open whether or not power is back; we just got generators through one of the members of the Board of Directors. They'll run the entire fair, if necessary."

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The Haddam Neck Fair -- "The Little Fair That Kept the Others Guessing" -- is celebrating its centennial year in 2011 with a special edition book.

The 88-page history of the fair was written by Lisa Malloy (Director of the Haddam Historical Society) along with Diane McHutchison. There are over 130 photos and other images in the book, eponomously titled The Haddam Neck Fair (The Little Fair That Kept the Others Guessing). 

Malloy chuckles in a phone interview, "With the hurricane damage and no power, I feel like I'm living in 1911." And without a generator, "I'm really toughing it out." 

The book is published by the Haddam Neck Fair Association and will be available at the fair for $15. The book was actually Lisa Malloy's idea and the Board of Directors supported the idea. Malloy, with a degree in Historic Preservation and American Studies, always loved history: "Growing up, it was in the family - and I love the stories."

Malloy is also perfect for writing and researching the centennial book project about the Haddam Neck Fair because she's been going to the fair almost every year since her birth in 1960.

The earliest origins of the Haddam Neck Fair went back to an association with the local Grange (a fraternal organization similar to the Masons), who also accepted farm families including women and teens (unlike the Masons).

"The Grange's biggest project in Connecticut was to pave roads," Malloy said.

Back in the day, she said, "Most area towns did have fairs to give the farmers and their families an opportunity to socialize and do friendly competitions: farm animals, crops, sewing, baked goods ...."

Agricultural fairs were also places to learn about and discuss the latest advances in technology and farming.

City people (including yours truly once upon a past life) like to come to fairs because it's a learning experience for them to see where their food comes from and to just be breathing "that country air."

"Definitely there's an entertainment aspect to the fairs, lots of band concerts, one or two bands coming from New York City."

Music headliner Jonathan Edwards will play at 7 p.m., while a fireworks display will be set off after dark on Sunday.

"In the old days, it was really an attraction from an entertainment standpoint, in the days before TV and movies," Malloy said. "Vaudeville shows, magicians, even 'Maggie, The Tallest Woman in Captivity' were featured at the Haddam Neck Fair."

"As for the various competitions, which include horse-pulling, dog competitions, and a beard contest, how do you explain something like the "Skillet Throwing Contest"? Malloy laughs, "It's only in its fourth year now. It's a lot of fun to see who can throw the skillet the farthest, with different families creating teams now, wearing matching t-shirts and all ... it's sort of like a friendly competition."

That said, see you at the Haddam Neck Fair all Labor Day weekend, opening at 4 p.m. Friday, closing at 6 p.m. Monday. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Daily admission is $7; call or check the website for details.

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