74th East Middleboro 4-H Fair continues to bring an ‘old country fair’ to community
Middleboro-based musician Billy Mulligan plays an acoustic set for the crowds enjoying concessions at the 74th Annual East Middleboro 4-H Fair on Saturday, Aug. 30. Photos by Sam Tucker
Attendees feed and pet chickens. Organizers said every year the fair sees more people attend the fair located at 183 Thompson St. in Middleboro.
Rabbits rest in their cages. While showing animals, 4-H participants are both graded on their showmanship and the animal itself.
A sheep looks out onto a crowd.
A goat pokes its head above a fence. Every animal has a specific set of guidelines from 4-H judges that are based on numerous factors like coat color and trimness of the animal.
A pig roots around in an enclosure. The East Middleboro 4-H club was founded in 1950, and is recognized as the oldest 4-H club in the state.
Arts and crafts with award ribbons pinned to them hang inside the clubhouse. 4-H members between ages four and eight are not judged on their work, but they receive recognition ribbons.
Attendees walk past a sign for the classic country-fair food offerings.
4-H members participate in the sheep show on Saturday. Judges grade participants on their animal, as well as their knowledge on the animals they show.
A volunteer pushes a snow blower after it was bought by a bidder during the “country-auction.”
A 4-H member holds the foot of their chicken before showing it to a judge.
Chickens rest in cages as the auction ensues behind them. Several clubs are available to join that include horse clubs, gardening, tractors, art and more.
A chicken stands in its cage next to a Best in Show ribbon.
A 4-H member rests on a cow in the fair stables.
A hand stretches out to pet a cow. Attendees could meet and pet almost all of the animals that were shown throughout the fair.
4-H members wait as a judge determines a grade for the chickens they’ve been working to show since last year’s fair.
Middleboro-based musician Billy Mulligan plays an acoustic set for the crowds enjoying concessions at the 74th Annual East Middleboro 4-H Fair on Saturday, Aug. 30. Photos by Sam Tucker
Attendees feed and pet chickens. Organizers said every year the fair sees more people attend the fair located at 183 Thompson St. in Middleboro.
Rabbits rest in their cages. While showing animals, 4-H participants are both graded on their showmanship and the animal itself.
A sheep looks out onto a crowd.
A goat pokes its head above a fence. Every animal has a specific set of guidelines from 4-H judges that are based on numerous factors like coat color and trimness of the animal.
A pig roots around in an enclosure. The East Middleboro 4-H club was founded in 1950, and is recognized as the oldest 4-H club in the state.
Arts and crafts with award ribbons pinned to them hang inside the clubhouse. 4-H members between ages four and eight are not judged on their work, but they receive recognition ribbons.
Attendees walk past a sign for the classic country-fair food offerings.
4-H members participate in the sheep show on Saturday. Judges grade participants on their animal, as well as their knowledge on the animals they show.
A volunteer pushes a snow blower after it was bought by a bidder during the “country-auction.”
A 4-H member holds the foot of their chicken before showing it to a judge.
Chickens rest in cages as the auction ensues behind them. Several clubs are available to join that include horse clubs, gardening, tractors, art and more.
A chicken stands in its cage next to a Best in Show ribbon.
A 4-H member rests on a cow in the fair stables.
A hand stretches out to pet a cow. Attendees could meet and pet almost all of the animals that were shown throughout the fair.
4-H members wait as a judge determines a grade for the chickens they’ve been working to show since last year’s fair.
MIDDLEBORO — At the East Middleboro 4-H Fair, you won’t find carnival rides or admission costs — but age-old fair amenities and passionate youth showing crafts and animals of every shape and size.
The annual fair is hosted by the East Middleboro 4-H club, one of the oldest 4-H clubs in the state. The event offers an “old country fair” atmosphere with classic fair eats, artisan booths — a country auction — and the many 4-H shows that see a bit of everything from baked goods and quilting, to giant rabbits and miniature horses.
“This is a family environment, and it's family-run. Even if we're not related by blood, we're related by green, " said longtime volunteer Erin Barry. “When everybody comes to the fair. It's like going to a family reunion.”
4-H programs put youth in a learning environment of a topic-based club — whether it’s arts and crafts or animal related — to complete a project or show an animal whilst gaining life-skills like public speaking and record keeping.
Brenda Easter, the club Treasurer and the Fair Committee Chair, said youth can gain a lot from being involved in the numerous types of clubs. Although her own children have aged out of the programs, her family still stays involved in the Middleboro 4-H community.
“You see it throughout the year, all of a sudden [youth] find their people, and then they start to just blossom. That's why we keep coming back. We like working with the kids, or else we wouldn't do it,” she said.
Brenda Easter said organizing the fair is always a group effort. The free-annual fair is run completely by volunteers, and profits from concessions goes to fund clubs, the fair and their clubhouse upkeep.
Her son, Ian Easter, 24, who “grew up” in 4-H programs and volunteers at the fair, said the event offers something more than the award ribbons youth earn for their competition entries.
“I feel like it's an important thing to our community, as well as just for the kids to have this kind of safe environment,” said Ian Easter. “It's more of a community-gathering kind of thing. It's not just a fair.”
Profits from the fair are also used for about $2,500 in scholarships the club awards to 4-H youth alumni as they age-out and pursue higher education.
On Saturday, clear weather offered a fair-day that saw hundreds of attendees at the club’s location at 183 Thompson St. in Middleboro.
Between the shows, attendees shopped at artisan booths, and enjoyed country-fair classics like fried-oreos and corn-on-the-cob. Attendees put money on the line in the “country-auction” where various kinds of household items were bid on by a large crowd.
Beth Smoller, a first-time attendee, said it was the first 4-H fair — and goat show — her son Jaxson, 8, has participated in. She said she wanted to get him involved in 4-H since it offers something different than school sports and other youth clubs.
“It’s about doing your best, but being supportive, helping each other out and learning from each other. The older kids really teach the younger kids. They take them under their wings,” Smoller said.
The fair ran through Sunday, Aug. 31, and included even more shows and country-fair fun . A horseshoe game tournament, a chili cook-off and both an animal costume and tractor parade finished out the weekend.
For Brenda Easter, she sees 4-H as a unique outlet for youth to find new friends and passions in.
“There's a lot of kids that don't always fit in,” she said. “I just find that the kids are so accepting. Everybody seems to fit-in. I always say ‘square pegs’ fit fine here. They all fit somewhere.”
To find out more information on how to get involved in a 4-H club, contact the Plymouth County 4-H and Extension offices.
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