Cumberland Fair organizers are raising objections to the Fryeburg Fair's plan to open a day earlier than usual and overlap with the last and most popular day of the Cumberland Fair.
Elizabeth Tarantino, secretary of the Cumberland Farmer's Club, said the move will prevent vendors from participating in both fairs on Saturday, Sept. 27, and she expects most will choose Fryeburg because of its larger crowds.
Tarantino said there is usually cooperation among Maine fairs over scheduled dates.
"Maine fairs have had a long history of good fellowship between the fairs, and what Fryeburg is doing is absolutely counter to that," said Tarantino.
Tarantino said Saturday, Sept. 27, is not a state-approved date for the Fryeburg Fair. She says Fryeburg Fair officials are trying to "circumvent the system" by calling it a carnival day instead.
"They are doing this all about the money, and they're not doing it about the agriculture and the promotion of agriculture and the preservation of agricultural history, and that's what Maine fairs are supposed to be about," Tarantino said.
Tarantino said Saturday is traditionally the Cumberland Fair's most popular day, but if the much larger Fryeburg Fair gets its way, she expects it will syphon off attendance and revenue.
Officials with the Fryeburg Fair, the largest agricultural fair in the state, say they need to expand their weekend dates to attract quality food and carnival vendors. They also point out that many Maine fairs have overlapping dates.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will hold hearings on Agricultural Fair Dates on Tuesday, April 1.
