The Hopkinton Fair
by Mrs. Ronald L. Falzone
Each year on the first weekend in September the quiet village of Contoocook comes alive with activity as people from far and near gather for The Fair. The cars, trucks and trailers, the sights, smells and sounds are Labor Day Weekend in Contoocook.
The first annual Hopkinton Fair was held by the Contoocook "Board of Trade" at George1s Park on Tuesday and Wednesday. October 5 and 6, 1915. The first officers were: President, C.A. Preston; Sec-Treas, M. F. Davis; Directors, M. J. Walker; George M. Putnam; George E. Barnard, H. M. Kimball, and J. Arthur Jones; Supt. of Grounds, Arthur C. Call.
By 1920 the fair had grown and included exhibitors from all the towns in Merrimack County. Premiums had been increased and the boys and girls had their own building. In 1921 a new exhibit hall and new sheds were built. The fair was incorporated under the name of the Contoocook Valley Fair Association in 1934.
In 1954 the fair was obliged to move its buildings and construct a new race track as the Hopkinton High School was to be built where the cattle sheds had stood.
Today's fair has one of the best 4-H departments in the State. There are livestock shows, horse shows and cattle and horse pulling contests. The midway and exhibits draw great crowds as does the horse racing and vaudeville acts. Many people are attracted by the parade, the fireworks, the daredevil auto show and the TV cowboy.
The greatest problem was to put as many of these things as possible on a quilt square. One could make a whole quilt of the fair! If I have omitted your favorite please enjoy some of mine. Perhaps my square was made especially for the children-today’s, tomorrow’s and yesterday’s. Or perhaps it is for all of us who are drawn to the unique smell of hotdogs and popcorn and the magical sounds of a merry-go-round floating across the valley.
Thanks are due to all who helped me with this project. I must thank my daughter and sons for their interest and encouragement, especially the son from whose shirttail I cut the horses for the merry-go-round.
Mrs. Ronald L. Falzone
Spring Street
Next to The Village Christmas Tree
LOC Subject Headings
State fair -- New Hampshire
Other Heading