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Cornwall Agricultural Fair returns Sept. 12

Cornwall Agricultural Fair returns Sept. 12

The Frontier Mess, a group that recreates lifestyles from the 18th and 19th centuries, demonstrates cooking techniques and equipment at a recent Cornwall Agricultural Fair.

Riley Klein

CORNWALL — The 34th annual Cornwall Agricultural Fair, sponsored by the Cornwall Agricultural Advisory Commission, will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the town green. This year’s event will honor the late Huntington Williams, a longtime educator and friend of the Cornwall community.

Always a popular draw, the fair celebrates the town’s strong agricultural heritage and offers visitors a host of activities rooted in those traditions.

Animals, including cows, chickens, and llamas, will be on hand, allowing visitors to get a close-up look.

Traditional demonstrations will include apple cider pressing, log sawing, and spinning. Antique cars and tractors will be displayed, along with a militiaman exhibit.

Gardeners will display their bounty for judging, including vegetables and fruits. Herbs, field and seed crops, dairy products, eggs, honey, and maple syrup also will compete for ribbons.

Other exhibits will include preserves, canned goods, baked goods, needlework, garden finds, flowers, children’s crafts and hobbies, and art. Flowers will be judged in adult and children’s categories.

There also will be hayrides and games, and many local civic organizations will host booths.

A large quilt show at the nearby United Church of Christ will feature work by Cornwall fiber artists and their ancestors. At 10:30 a.m., organizers will present a community quilt created by townspeople over the past six months. The quilt depicts local landmarks, institutions, traditions, wildlife, and other elements of life in Cornwall.

A highlight of the day will be the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department’s cow chip bingo at 3 p.m., when a lucky winner will hold the square on which a cow leaves its mark.

Attendees are asked to bring fruits, vegetables, and nonperishable items for the town’s food pantry.

A 9/11 remembrance will be held at 11 a.m. Farm tours will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a blessing of the animals is scheduled for noon.

In case of rain, the fair will be moved to Sunday, Sept. 13.

For more information, contact Bill Dinneen at 860-248-1543 or Wendy Kennedy at 860-672-3487.

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