The Topsham Fair is back for its 159th year, offering the must-haves such as demolition derbies, pig scrambles and competitions from baking to fry-pan tossing to cutest baby. The fair will be free Sunday and Monday for those who want to come watch harness racing at 5 p.m. The fair officially starts Tuesday and ends Sunday. For the first time, a freestyle motorcross jumping show will be performed in front of the grandstand. The Rave X Outer Limits Tour shows are at 6 and 8 p.m. Thursday and at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11. Dave Carlberg, who owns the Rave X retail store in South Portland, said that when he opened the store in 2005, he wanted to start advertising for the business without paying, “so we started this free snowmobile tour,” performing backflips and other tricks on snowmobiles. That evolved into also performing with dirt bikes. Soon, the Outer Limits Tour surpassed its purpose and became its own business with its own identity. The show will feature dirt bikes and two or three riders hitting jumps and performing tricks which Carlberg will explain as he narrates the show. Such tricks will include “the holy man,” “Superman seat grab” and “the rock solid,” to name a few. Carlberg said the riders — all from New Hampshire — put on 12 to 14 shows a year with snowmobiles and dirt bikes. “We’re very excited,” Carlberg said, about performing at the Topsham Fair. He’s joined the Maine Association of Agriculture Fairs because fairs provide the perfect venue for the shows. This third annual Sunrise Stampede 5K kicks off at 8 a.m. to benefit the Sagadahoc Agricultural and Horticultural Society and support agricultural education. Runners will head to the Brunswick and Topsham bike path and return to the fair through the Elm Street entrance. Advance registration is $16 and is $26 on the day of the fair. Online registration closes at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, a t www.running4free.com/Race Details.aspx?raceid=219. Registration on the day of the race starts at 6:30 a.m. in the infield parking area. Sunday at 3:30 p.m. the Redneck Partner Carrying Contest returns for its second year in front of the grandstand. The contest consists of an obstacle course through which one partner must carry the other. The famous fry pan throwing contest starts at noon Sunday, followed by the backseat drivers contest at 1 p.m. and the He/She-Man Strength Competition at 2 p.m., all in front of the grandstand. The Redneck Truck Pull is Friday at 6:30 p.m. in front of the grandstand, where cars will also smash and crash during the crowd-drawing demolition derbies at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Tuesday is senior day, offering seniors admission for $3. Sunday is children’s day (moved from Tuesday) featuring an array of child-oriented events, and features a military special. Children of military families who have their military ID with them, get in for half-price. Returning for the second year is the Mutton Bustin’ contest for 8-year-olds, starting at 6 p.m. in the pulling ring. The participants wear protective gear and see who can ride their sheep the furthest. Tuesday there are also two sheep herding demonstrations inside the race track and at 5 p.m., a bean hole supper in the Favreau building. Thursday there will be an American Boer Goat Association sanctioned Spirit of Maine Boer Goat show at 11 a.m. and a goat auction at 6:30 p.m. The new barn has new wings added to it, Hunter said, so the cattle will be outside, making them more accessible to the public. Also returning for the fourth straight year are the superstars of the National Wrestling Alliance On Fire professional wrestling promotion. Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the harness racing track, heavyweight champion Brian Fury will defend against the fourth annual Topsham Fair Battle Royal winner in the evening’s main event. Competitors slated to be at the fair include the Berlin Mauler Joseph Von Schmidt, the Cuban Crippler Ricky Reyes, the Wrestling On Fire TV champion Scotty Slade, Lucifer Lords, Buzz Bloodsaw, Mega Muerte, Ray Ray Marz, Jivin’ Jimmy and many others. The fireworks show, sponsored this year by Rusty’s Market in Topsham, will blast off at 10 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 8 a.m. from Aug. 6-11. Access the fair from the Route 196 Coastal Connector. dmoore@timesrecord.com ¦ 159TH TOPSHAM FAIR
Where: Topsham Fairgrounds,
access off Route 196
Coastal Connector
When: Free-access harness
racing Sunday, Monday at 5
p.m.; gates of fair open at 8
a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 to Sunday, Aug. 11
For access to a complete fair
listing, click on the schedule.
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