For the first time in six years, the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair will have carnival rides this summer.
It’s one of the many reasons Kent Forbes is fired up for the annual event, which kicks off on Wednesday, Aug. 5, in Presque Isle.
In its 171st year, the fair — one of the oldest in Maine — is coming off of several “lean and mean” iterations in the wake of the pandemic, Forbes, the fair association president said. But a “renewed enthusiasm” among the event’s organizers has it poised for a comeback.
“It’s an exciting year for people to come back to the fair that have been discouraged with it over the years,” Forbes said. “In sports, they call it a rebuilding season. Give us a chance to prove to you that we’re going to make it great again.”
Running Aug. 5-9, the fair’s usual agricultural showcases will be accompanied by a selection of rides from Smokey’s Greater Shows. It’s the first midway at the Northern Maine Fair since 2019. COVID-related disruptions and competition from the Bangor State Fair — which runs concurrently — had kept the amusement company from returning to Aroostook County.
This year, Smokey’s will split its attractions between Bangor and Presque Isle for the week.
“It’s not going to be the full Smokey’s show, it’s going to be about half of it,” Forbes said. “I’m really excited. Some is better than none. There will be people up there that’ll say, ‘Well, they missed this ride. They’re missing that.’ But we’ve fostered a new relationship, so I expect it to only get better over the years.”
Members of the Northern Maine Fair Association met with Smokey’s about returning to the fairgrounds two years ago, Forbes said, and it agreed to do so after taking part in a successful carnival last fall.
But on top of the carnival, the fair is bringing other new flair. There’s an educational sea lion show and a new magician. Josiah Dyer, a Maine singer who auditioned for “American Idol” earlier this year, will perform during the fair’s first two nights.
“He’s just phenomenal,” Forbes said of Dyer. “People need to come out and hear this young man sing.”
And of course, the week will have all its usuals: tractor pulls, a demolition derby, horse shows, Li’l Farmers at the Fair, Li’l Lumberjacks and the Baby Beef Auction — where youth of a local 4-H program show and sell steers they’ve raised to meat buyers.
The association has also made improvements to the fairground itself, paving more of the area and repainting buildings. It’s part of the new energy that Forbes said he’s seen from the volunteers and other supporters that help put on the fair.
“We started doing things and it got infectious,” he said. “COVID hit us hard at the fair. Now people are looking to be part of something good, and this is good for everybody.”
And by everybody, Forbes does not mean just the city of Presque Isle. He takes the fair’s regional name seriously.
“The community has really stepped up this year,” Forbes said. “It’s not Presque Isle’s fair. It’s the Northern Maine Fair. Everybody is included from The Valley all the way down to Southern Aroostook and people need to come out and support us.”