Every year since Bradley Anderson was a child, he makes sure to ride the quarter scale model Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 3000 train that circles the tracks at Sandwich Fair.
“That train adds to what I call the soundtrack of the fair,” said Anderson, general manager of the Sandwich Fair Association. “You always hear the whistle and the steam in the background when you’re in that area. Without that, it would be a different vibe.”
Tradition is very much at the heart of the Sandwich Fair, which draws between 150,000-170,000 people over its five days. With the exception of 2020, it has been held every year since 1888. The 134th edition of the fair runs Sept. 7-11 at the Sandwich Fairgrounds in Sandwich. Fair hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sept. 7-9, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 10 and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 11.
Country superstar Trace Adkins performs on the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Sept. 8, headlining a five-day schedule of events that also includes the Equipment and Vendor Showcase as well as harness racing at 11 a.m. Sept. 7.
“That’s been at the fair for pretty much as long as the fair’s been around,” Anderson said. “That’s still going, it’s not too common elsewhere anymore.”
A truck pull will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8, tractor pulls at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10, and demolition derbies at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Sept. 11.
“For the concert, the pulls and the demolition derby, that’s an additional cost,” Anderson said. “So you got to buy an entry ticket for that in addition to the gate entry that you have to get into the fair itself. So it’s an additional ticket.”
More Top Picks Best Bird Baths For Gardens
As of press time, $30 festival seating tickets for the Adkins concert are still available, though stage pit tickets are sold out. Tickets for the truck and tractor pulls are $20 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Demolition derby tickets are $15 for adults and $5 children under 12. Tickets are available at the gate or in advance at sandwichfair.com.
The fair schedule is filled with entertainment, activities and events including strolling acts, lumberjack shows, a petting zoo, rabbit display and livestock showings.
“People are bringing in their animals that they have at their farm to show who’s got the best animal and they can win cash prizes,” Anderson said. “My kids are actually showing some hogs this year. I did that when I was about their age. Their eighth grader and sixth grader and they’re bringing their pigs out for the first time.”
Carnival rides will be offered all five days, with discounted ride wristbands available online through Sept. 6. For the schedule of when wristbands are accepted, visit the fair website. There are no wristband hours on Sept. 10; tickets must be used.
A wide variety of vendors will also be on site, as well as food vendors.
“A lot of the new concession vendors, their type of booths is looking more like the food trucks you’d see in the city,” he said.
Two free stages will offer musical entertainment and culinary competitions.
“It’s kind of a scavenger hunt,” Anderson said. “You just walk around and you’ll find something interesting to see or do.”
And then there are the exhibitors, showing a wide range of collections and talents.
“That’s what makes the fair,” Anderson said. “If it’s just carnival rides and a concert, then it’s more like a festival. What makes it a fair is the companies promoting their products and the people showing their talents. Either their animals or their crafts and flowers and vegetables and that kind of stuff.”
The tradition of the exhibitors is one of the main reasons the fair has remained so popular for more than a century.
“The exhibitors, the amount of people that show out here — the flowers, crafts, home arts and collectibles — that’s bigger than any other county fair in the state, on that side,” Anderson said. “We’re not as big on the livestock but we have the most people that show things. That’s what keeps the buildings full.”
There are several promotions offering discounts on admission. Children 12 and under are free Sept. 7. On Sept. 8, seniors 65 and older pay $7 and children 12 and under are free before 5 p.m. On Sept. 9, children 12 and under are free and ages 13 and older are $7 before 5 p.m. On Sept. 11, everyone is admitted for $7 after 3 p.m.
Sandwich Fair
When: Sept. 7-11
Where: Sandwich Fairgrounds, 15730 Pratt Road, Sandwich
Tickets: $10 adult; $7 children ages 6-12, free for age 5 and younger. Season (five day) tickets: $25 adult; $10 child
Information: sandwichfair.com
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.