THE 123rd SANDWICH FAIR…BEST COUNTY FAIR IN THE USA!

  The first thing we did when we got inside the gate was follow the smell of grilled pork chops and chicken….

Fay’s BBQ has been coming to the Sandwich Fair since I can remember…They cook their chops and ribs outside over charcoal…in huge batches. The top photo is the line going around the tent .  This is the line of hungry fairgoers with cash in their pockets and a big appetite, waiting to get some of Fay’s yummys!

I took a gazillion, ok, maybe a trilliion photos, so I made a few collages to give you an idea of the different sights to be seen at the fair.  I wish you could get the smells too!…Below are some of the old steam engines and tractors that were on display…and running… Our town of Sandwich used to have a factory call Sandwich Manufacturing Co. Some of the engines on display were from that factory..Interestingly,  Den’s Grampa and father both worked there at different times…Oh, and that is a 1929 John Deere tractor I’m posing next to…Antiques KNOW good antiques, right?

 

…The Women’s Hall is one of the older buildings and most photographed. This is what I love about this fair.  You can still see the home made stuff that people have brought in to be judged.  I want a job judging the cookies, please.    It is a great spot to see, but don’t go if you are hungry!!  Look at all of the blue ribbons..They have an area for baked goods, canned goods, needlework…you name it…

 

Then , another of the older buildings is the Horticultural Building .  This building is a round structure and has very high ceilings.  It is always packed with fruits, veggies, and flowers, piled almost to the top of it.  Our neighbors won some blue ribbons for their roses.  I should have entered my potatoes!!!

….Below are the two award winning pumpkins for weight…The one on the left was the biggest .  It weighed in at 438 lbs….The farmers said this was not a good year for pumpkins because of the heat.  Last year the winner weighed over 600 lbs.!! You would have to carve that sucker with a chain saw!

The carved pumpkins you see above were in the Junior section of the building, for kids to contribute their talents.  I find these great old buildings really special.  They have been a mainstay of the fair for many, many years.

 

  The above train was built by a local farmer, Augie Otto, and made it’s debut at the Sandwich Fair in 1973.   It took him 7 years to build…and it is built to 1/4 scale.  It is a model of Class 5-4 Hudson Type 4-6-4, Burlington Series 3000 Engine.  It weight 5 tons, is oil fired, carries 200 psi and has full Westinghouse air brakes.  Also, the whistle and bell tones are authentic ( can I just say, I wish that’s the whistle they STILL used today!)….I have ridden it dozens of times over the years, and our grandkids never miss it.  Heck, I still love to ride it!!!  I wish I could drive it!..How much damage could I do just going down some tracks??? ….never mind. …and we can hear the lovely little whistle from our house.

  The middle top 2  photos of the collage on the left are the grandstand, and the harness racetrack. They have harness races in the afternoons.  I love to watch those horses run! (and you can always find someone to make a little wager with…)

They also have entertainment at the stage on Friday nights…Jake Owen was there last night, for those of  you who know Country music. Also, they have truck pulls there on Thursday nights and tractor pulls there Saturday afternoon and evening.  As I am typing this, I can hear the roar of the jacked up tractor engines..LOVE IT!

 

Our daughter-in-law, Cindy, is in charge of the EMS building.. (Emergency Medical Services), and they keep an ambulance there at all times…She was digging into a BBQ’d turkey leg…and Kelly was out there helping as a medic.  Believe me, they can get pretty busy with anything from bee stings to heart attacks, falls to fights....The crowds get huge on the weekends.

 

This last collage is just a smattering of shots…..I took so darn many that I could have made one big collage of 84 photos!!!!We only spent about 2 1/2 hours out there, but my dogs were killing me, so we headed back out the gate for our short walk up Center St. toward home….FYI, there is a GREAT U-tube video of the train and the Sandwich Fair, just click on this…. Sandwich Fair …that will give you all a better idea than just still photos, and it’s really worth it……just click on the link.  I just know Sam will!!

YUP!…IT TRULY IS THE BEST COUNTY FAIR IN THE USA!!!!

THANKS FOR COMING WITH US….AND NO!, YOU CANNOT HAVE ANOTHER CORN DOG!!!