Mann Orchards’ Fitzgerald Previews Topsfield Fair and Looks Back 50 Years

If there was any reason to doubt it, the upcoming Topsfield Fair is a sure sign of fall.

America’s oldest county fair, having started in 1818, opens Friday, Oct. 4, and runs through Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 14. Although he hasn’t been around since the beginning, Bill Fitzgerald of Methuen’s Mann Orchards is as knowledgeable as anyone about the longtime tradition.

“I actually have my 50-year pin being involved with the Topsfield Fair. Started as quite a young guy, displaying apples and whatnot in the fruit and vegetable building.”

Fitzgerald sits on the Topsfield Fair board of directors and previously served as its president. He was a recent guest on WHAV’s “Win for Breakfast” program and said Mann Orchards will again have a display, but he’s also looking forward to some of the other attractions.

“Well let me tell you, does it get any better than Three Dog Night and .38 Special, right in our own back yard? Honestly, and what we need is great weather those nights. And, then on Friday night that week, we have a couple of young ladies, Maddie and Tae. I think that will be an interesting show as well,” he explains.

One of the highlights at the beginning of the fair is the Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off, Friday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. Fitzgerald says it is not uncommon to find pumpkins exceeding 2,000 pounds. “Now, with the summer we’ve had, hot dry weather, a little bit more of a challenge, I think, for these big pumpkin growers. It’s going to be very interesting to see how they’ve put their minds together and what they’re going to have for a big pumpkin this year. I think we might be surprised with what we see for a great big pumpkin.”

Many days at the Fair have their own theme, including Monday, Oct. 7, which actually has two major features. “Senior Day and also, at the same time, we have what we call Sensory Day, and that is for people who like things a little bit quieter. A lot of the sound systems are turned way down, the lighting is dimmed a little bit, so people who like things a little bit calmer can come to the fair and enjoy that as well,” he points out.

The Topsfield Fair is owned and operated by the Essex Agricultural Society, a nonprofit which states its purpose as “encouraging, promoting and preserving Essex County agricultural activities, and to educate the general public regarding their importance.” There is more at TopsfieldFair.org.

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