With spruced-up grounds, food, motors and more, the 170th Northern Maine Agricultural Fair will get underway on Wednesday, July 30.
The five-day event will run through Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Northern Maine Fairgrounds in Presque Isle.
Long a summertime staple, the fair has undergone numerous changes in recent years. Some were brought on by changing interests, such as the end of County harness racing in 2022, and others due to necessity, including the closure of the landmark grandstand last year for safety reasons.
But popular favorites — truck and tractor pulls, farm animals, agricultural exhibits and the 4-H Baby Beef Auction — remain. Leaders have also introduced new features to celebrate Aroostook’s farming roots and offer more for fairgoers, and this year is no different, according to Northern Maine Fair Association President Kent Forbes.
“We’re doing a lot of fixing up and cleaning up to get things ready,” he said. “There’s renewed enthusiasm, both with our sponsors and our board of directors.”
The spark extends to vendors, who have signed up to fill the commercial exhibition hall to capacity this year — something that hasn’t happened in many years, Forbes said.
Fair officials have brought back a pageant that will take place this weekend, and that has generated considerable excitement, he said. The Miss Agri-Heritage of the Northern Maine Fair contest is slated Sunday, July 27, at The Forum.
Fairgoers flock to motor events, and there will be more to enjoy this year. The ever-popular truck and tractor pulls will return Friday and Saturday, and will now include mini modified tractor pulling, Forbes said.
Antique and pedal tractors will also get in on the action.
Other new events will include a jigsaw puzzle competition, animal costume contest (for the animals, that is), a strolling dinosaur, a water balloon fight and a cornhole tournament.
Many traditional events will round out the fair, including horse shows, the Farm Animal Experience, 4-H livestock shows, tractor train rides, the annual Lumberjack Roundup and a “flapjacks with lumberjacks” breakfast, and the Rods, Rides and Relics auto show.
Maine performer Jason Tardy will return with combinations of illusions, comedy and juggling — even fire juggling — in several shows throughout the five-day fair.
A fireworks show will cap off the fair’s first night on Wednesday, July 30, Forbes said.
The fair’s most successful ventures have included interactive exhibits geared toward letting kids explore, feel and experience. Lil’ Farmers at the Fair offers a hands-on farm experience. Its sequel, Lil’ Lumberjacks at the Fair, gives youngsters a close-up look at forestry. Both have won awards from the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs.
Those exhibits and the many Future Farmers and 4-H activities will help the fair celebrate the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs’ 2025 theme: the Year of Youth in Agriculture.
Visitors will notice some changes to the grounds, Forbes said. Four deteriorating horse stables have been torn down, and a new stage has been added to the Lil’ Lumberjacks area thanks to a local donation.
Of course, it wouldn’t be fair time without fair food and farm animals. The food court will set up in its usual place near the grandstand, and the 4-H food booth will cook up favorites near the livestock area.
For a complete schedule of events, visit northernmainefairgrounds.com or check out the Northern Maine Fair Association on Facebook.
Though many people might miss the carnival rides, Forbes explained that the fair can’t obtain them because it happens at the same time as the Bangor State Fair, which has Smokey’s Greater Shows.
But he encouraged people to tune in later this year for a small extension of the fair in September. A mini modified tractor pull will take place that will include a demolition derby, rides from Smokey’s and a concert in conjunction with the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee.
For more than 170 years, the fair has supported Aroostook County’s agricultural heritage, and fair association members aim to keep revitalizing it as they look toward the future, Forbes said.
“It’s deep-rooted in our community,” he said. “It’s just a great chance for people to get together and remember those roots.”
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