Hype for the Future 64J: Town of Windsor, Maine

Introduction

The Town of Windsor is located directly to the east of and adjacent to the City of Augusta in Kennebec County, Maine, home to the site of the Windsor Fair and the associated museum area. The Maine Highland Games represent Scottish heritage, particularly within the State of Maine, though the Scottish festival has previously been hosted at the site of Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick, Maine.

Windsor Fairgrounds

The Windsor Fairgrounds are known primarily for hosting the Windsor Fair in the State of Maine in the days leading up to Labor Day. However, just a few weeks prior to each session, the Windsor Fairgrounds also host the Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival thanks to the sale of Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick, thus resulting in an enlarged venue for the Scottish heritage festival.

Hype for the Future 58I: Notable Fairs in the State of Maine

State Fairs

Within the State of Maine, the three most notable state-related regional fairs include the Fryeburg Fair, located in the Oxford County Town of Fryeburg; the Skowhegan State Fair; and the Bangor State Fair; from west to east. Each of the listed state fairs provides a snapshot into the specific regions of the respective fairgrounds; however, the Fryeburg Fair has often traditionally attracted fairgoers from the nearby areas over the state line in north-central New Hampshire, also a fairly rural region.

Regional Fairs

Also located within the State of Maine are the regional fairs located in communities such as Dover-Foxcroft in Piscataquis County, home to the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in the middle of June and the Piscataquis Valley Festival at the end of August each year. Interestingly, similar fairs also occur along the extensive coastline of the State, including the Blue Hill Fair which occurs around Labor Day weekend every year.

Hype for the Future 39A: Northwest Missouri

Two of the largest communities along U.S. Highway 136 within northern Missouri, Maryville and Bethany, are located on the western side of the State, with similar cultural traits to the Iowa state line nearby. Unionville, Missouri, is located further east along Route 136 and Route 5 within Putnam County. Even though Unionville is located in Putnam County, county fair tickets for the county are also typically sold in Milan in Sullivan County and in Centerville in Appanoose County, Iowa. A very similar situation occurs when Iowans appear at the Northwest Missouri State Fair on occasions. However, while the fair and the university both have “Northwest Missouri” in the title, the fair is located in Bethany while the university is located in Maryville.

Hype for the Future 34A: Fairs in New England

The expected time of year for each of the three fairs in Maine is varied, with the largest fair at Fryeburg typically occurring within the month of October, while the fairs at Bangor and Skowhegan are typically held in different parts of August. New Hampshire maintains the Hopkinton State Fair near Contoocook, New Hampshire, throughout Labor Day weekend, and the Vermont State Fair at Rutland typically occurs in mid-late August. However, the most important of the fairs of the New England region is perhaps the Big E, typically occurring from late September into mid-October.

Hype for the Future 34/284: Festivals and Events by Size

Overall, the festival and event sizes of novaTop, geoTop, and futoTop interests can range from events perhaps under 10,000 attendees to upwards of 100,000, even if not necessarily all at once. Examples of notable events of novaTop interest include the Lebanon Country and Blues Festivals, with 16,000 and 20,000–28,000 expected attendees, respectively, as well as the annual Country Jam USA in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; the larger Voices of America Country Music Festival in West Cheater Township, Ohio serving over 100,000; the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival serving between 200,000 and 400,000; and numerous larger and smaller events located elsewhere.

Hype for the Future 33B: Different State Fair Satellites in New England

While all six (6️⃣) New England states are represented within the scope of the Big E at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, individual states may also host fairs within the region, most notably the Vermont State Fair in the City of Rutland, Vermont; and the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine. Within Contoocook, New Hampshire, the Hopkinton Fair is notable for being the largest in-state fair in New Hampshire, largely serving a more local area within the State as the Eastern States Exposition serves the entire New England region. Additional satellite fairs of regional significance include locations in Bangor and Skowhegan, both also located within the State of Maine.

Hype for the Future 33A: Texas State Fair Satellites

Apart from the mainstream Texas State Fair on the eastern side of the City of Dallas, serving approximately two million people as of the 2025 session. The satellite fairs of Texas, typically serving anywhere from 125,000 to 250,000 people, are located in Abilene (West Texas), Tyler (East Texas), Denton (North Texas), and Beaumont (South Texas).