Maine-ly Home: THE Fair

Monday, September 27, 2010

THE Fair

On Saturday a.m. while we were driving to the Common Ground Fair (a near 2 hour drive from our home), my cranky 6-year-old asked me why I like the fair so much.

"Well," I began..."Some people believe that Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, I think THIS is." (Was that wrong?)

Now, I had her attention, evidenced by the puzzled, "Why?"

"Because this a place where people gather. People who are rich. People who are poor. People from all walks of life. They gather here because they share an interest in rural Maine living. They care about keeping Maine traditions like farming and spinning and fiddling alive. They care about good healthy food. They care about people. They care about the Earth. It is what they have in common--and it is really wonderful sometimes to be among people who care about similar things."

I couldn't see her, I was driving. She might have been rolling her eyes. But, she was quiet, nevertheless.

I could go on and on (as some of you have had to endure in-person) about all the wonderfulness of the fair. The amazing food. The terrific music. The exquisite crafts. The endless interesting workshops. The happy, animal-filled barns. And, oh, the fiber! But, instead, I'll just share some photos (and a few words). Hope you enjoy.

Food! Wood-fired whole grain pizza with pesto; sustainably grown lamb kebabs; locally grown roasted vegetable soups; Maine potatoes every-which-way; locally-made ice cream; and, more, more, more!

Prize carrots (and, so, so, much more!)

Solar-powered juice.

Pie in a Cone
All food vendors at the fair are required to be as sustainable as possible. Their "packaging" must be minimal (you won't find lids or straws, for example) - and completely recyclable and compostable (volunteers collect the plates and scraps and recycle/compost). One vendor got really creative - instead of pie on a plate - they make a pie crust cone and fill it with the pie filling of your choice (blueberry, pumpkin, apple...). YUM.