I haven’t been to the Common Ground Fair since I was a little girl. Mom reports that I made my own paper (a precursor to future endeavors?) back then. This time around, I learned a few new things:
Traffic of “Woodstock” proportions will greet you if you arrive mid-afternoon during the best fair weather in “years,” so plan accordingly for those last critical 3 miles. Better yet, ride a bike.
Dreadlock mullets have made a comeback/appeared. We counted at least two among what my brother called “the largest collection of hippies I have ever seen.” This coming from a man who has lived in Maine for nearly 27 years and goes to school in Orono.
No cell phones are “allowed” on the Unity fairgrounds, so if you leave your mother watching border collies herd sheep, you should be sure to set up a rendezvous point more specific than “we’ll see you here later.”
Spinning yarn is like “patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. But once you get it, it’s very relaxing.”
Maine has A LOT of soapmakers.
Where there are honey products, there are also a lot of bees.
Baked beans, albeit delicious, should not serve as a chaser for (organic) fried shrimp, a strawberry-blueberry smoothie and
unbelievable jerky. Ever.
If you’re going to have music in a food stall, fiddles and lobster are a surprisingly good combination.
The “best duck” winner at the fair, is kind of a showoff.
Alpacas are way more fun than llamas. They pronk.
If you pass a sheep in a field and it’s on its back, stop the car and help turn back onto its feet. Sheep cannot upright themselves.
There should be as many places to wash your hands where you eat as in the area where you see/pet bunnies, poultry or any kind of farm animal.
Composting toilets are cooler than they sound, and the people who market them have excellent senses of humor.
Barefoot is back. Even in the dirt. Even around allll those farm animals and the composting toilet demos.
Consider trying the hot beef sundae. Unless you’ve had any (or all) of the aforementioned food items, as well as organic fried dough (no powdered sugar here) and maple candy. Also, the longest lines are for ice cream and the cutest cooks are at at the falafel tent.
Every community should have an Earth Loom. Wish for clarity, guidance, peace, happiness. Just wish.
Jessica Strelitz is a contributing writer to Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
