BANGOR, Maine — Workers and safety inspectors were busy on a steamy Thursday afternoon at Bass Park fairgrounds, preparing for the annual event that draws thousands of people to the city.
The Bangor State Fair is scheduled to open at 2 p.m. Friday and run through Sunday, Aug. 9.
As usual, the fair will feature attractions, including the midway, farm animals, a demolition derby, games of chance and skill, plenty of food and fireworks on Opening Night. The fair dates back to at least 1883, according to its website.
The rides on the midway, operated by Fiesta Shows of Seabrook, New Hampshire, are traditionally one of the fair’s most popular attractions. Safety was a topic fair organizers were happy to address Thursday in the wake of four people being injured on rides owned by Smokey’s Greater Shows at a carnival in Waterville in June. The state fire marshal’s office charged the owner and a worker in connection with those incidents.
Ten people have reported being injured on rides operated by Fiesta Shows since 2012, according to the watchdog group amusementsafety.org. Five people reported back-related injuries and five reported neck-related injuries. None of those reported injuries occurred in Bangor, according to Fiesta Shows President Eugene Dean, whose company serves 60 communities a year.
“We always advise the public to make sure they read the safety signage and adhere to all the rules the operators give because it is for their safety,” Dean said as the fair held its Media Day at Bass Park Thursday.
Joe Imbriaco, general manager of Cross Insurance Center, which hosts the fair, said the facility is proud to have Fiesta Shows on board.
“There’s obviously an intent on their part to deliver a safe product and there’s a reason why we work with companies that have good safety records,” Imbriaco said.
Officials with the Bangor Fire Department and state fire marshal’s office inspected the rides at the Bangor venue Thursday. Dean said all rides are inspected daily and have passed state inspections.
The fair will feature rides for both young children and adults, including popular attractions such as the Zipper, the Freak Out, which spins riders like a giant centrifuge, and Arctic Blast, which features bobsleds that travel in a circle.
Imbriaco said the fair attracts “tens of thousands of visitors” every summer, and 2015 isn’t expected to be any different.
Among the other attractions the fair is offering this year are laser tag, pie and hot dog eating competitions, a World of Wonders sideshow and displays from the Great Maine Lumberjack Show.
Daily admission is $12 per person and includes access to all rides, shows and exhibits.
Children under age 3 are admitted free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. For a full list of attractions, visit bangorstatefair.com.
