The organizers of the Fryeburg Fair Monday that it will be postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cancellation of the Fryeburg Fair comes after other agricultural fairs across the state were canceled because of the health crisis. The Fryeburg Fair was founded in 1851 and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The Fryeburg Fair Board of Trustees released a statement Monday morning that said the decision to postpone the fair until October 2021 came after weeks of discussion. They said their first priority was the health of the community and vistors.
“We have been in constant contact with local first responders, community leaders and state officials. We have consulted with many fairs and venues across the country who are faced with these same challenges. As we follow the State of Maine and CDC guidelines we determined that social distancing and PPE considerations would be near impossible to ensure,” the trustees said in a statement. “We understand the fiscal role Fryeburg Fair plays in our community and the economic impact our event has on the many businesses, non-profits, entrepreneurs, farmers, landowners and individuals in our community and this decision did not come easy.”
Capital improvements planned at the fairgrounds for 2020 will continue, according to the trustees.
The organizers of the Skowhegan State Fair – the oldest fair in Maine – are still considering whether to cancel the 2020 fair – and it was held throughout World War II.
Other fairs that will postpone until the 2021 season include: the Acton Fair, Harmony Free Fair, Houlton Agricultural Fair, Litchfield Fair, Monmouth Fair, Northern Maine Fair, Ossipee Valley Fair, Topsham Fair and the Waterford World’s Fair.
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