Some Things Return and Others Change as Fair Gets Underway for 142nd
Time

By MARK ALAN LOVEWELL

Mother Nature's presence will be the best part of this
year's 142nd annual Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society
Livestock Show and Fair. The four-day fair starts Thursday, August 21,
and one of the most pleasing ingredients will be underfoot. The grounds
are lush with thick grass. The air this week is dry, but nothing like
last year's terrible drought conditions, which cultivated dust
just about everywhere. Last summer was so dry flowers wilted before they
got into the hall. Vegetable entries were far below expectation.

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This week there will be plenty of entrants in the vegetable, fruit
and flower judging section of the fair. Only the finest cucumbers and
tomatoes and the tallest sunflowers will win blue ribbons. The work of
gardeners, farmers and lovers of just about everything Vineyard will
find stiff competition in this year's fair. The Agricultural Hall
is the venue where some of the best are displayed for prizes. Everything
from jelly jars to photography will be arrayed for fair visitors. The
age of artists, cooks and growers is inclusive. There are
children's categories and adult amateur and professional
categories.

Eleanor Neubert, fair manager and secretary to the agriculture
society, said yesterday: "The grounds have never looked
better." The society has been at its present location since 1995.
The hours of the fair this year are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. through
Saturday. On Sunday the fair grounds are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission is $8 for adults. Seniors and children from five to 12 years
old get in for $5, and those under five have free admittance.

For those seeking a change in pace from the past, there is plenty.
This year the fair features more diverse music, more rides and more
people are expected.

The Martha's Vineyard Swing Orchestra is performing on Friday
night, starting at 7 p.m. On Thursday night John Barleycorn and the
Social Drinkers start at 6:30 p.m. The Sting Rays with Lennie Baker
begin their set at 8 p.m.

On Saturday night Changeling, an Irish duo, will perform Celtic
music beginning at 7 p.m.

Kelly Peters and his hip hop dancers will perform on Thursday and
Sunday afternoons.

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This year the third annual Fiber Tent will be a good deal bigger
than last year. Ms. Neubert said Glenn Jackson is in charge of this
year's demonstration of everything from sheep to shawl. Sheep
shearing expert Andy Rice has come from Brattleboro to do daily shearing
demonstration. He has brought his sheepherding dog Rug.

Pony rides will be offered for the first time from 3 to 5 p.m. every
day, near the animal barn.

Lynn Gatchell of Oak Bluffs spent a lot of time earlier this year
making sure that there would be a big turnout for the 27th annual
Woodsmen's Contest on Saturday afternoon. Ms. Neubert said:
"She has revitalized the event. She got on the phone early and
we've got entrants from all over New England. Trina Kingsbury and
Dale Robinson, Island favorites are expected to participate." Trip
Barnes will be the master of ceremonies.

The Friday draft horse pull at 1 p.m. has also got a few more
participants this year. To his credit, John (Chip) Mancuso of West
Tisbury made similar calls around New England to find more horse lovers.

This year the midway will be busier. Though the ferris wheel will be
familiar, there are three new rides that are not. "We've got
the Flying Bobs. Don't ask me how it works; I've been told
teenagers will thoroughly enjoy it," Ms. Neubert said. "The
Octopus, which was around when I was a kid, is back. And the kids'
ride called the Fire Truck Ride is here."

There will be at least 30 Island booths offering home-cooked food
and collectibles. The West Tisbury volunteer fire department will be
serving their delicious cheeseburgers. The Vineyard's football
enthusiasts, the Touchdown Club, are cooking tempura. Ms. Neubert said
at least a quarter of the booths are run by nonprofit organizations
seeking to raise funds by selling food and items. The Island
Children's School will be selling ice cream.

Ken Goldberg will host the clam and oyster shucking contest on
Friday at 4 p.m. Alongside comes the fifth annual smoked fish contest.
Rick Lee of Aquinnah said this week he is tired of getting the blue
ribbon and he welcomes any and all competitors. "This is a way to
bring aquaculture to agriculture," said Mr. Lee.

The women's skillet throwing contest is getting more
competitive each year. The ladies have been practicing. Ms. Neubert said
she knows for a fact that some entrants have been practicing, throwing
frying pans for some time now.

There is an even more significant reason to believe that this
year's fair will be bigger than past years. There is no
conflicting event. "The fireworks have come and gone. Illumination
Night has come and gone. We are hopeful that attendance will be up from
last year," Ms. Neubert said. Last year the fair saw 25,000
visitors. There is plenty of reason to believe those numbers will be
eclipsed this week.