Welcome to the Entertainment Area of the Common Ground Country Fair!
Sights and Sounds of the Common Ground Country Fair
A visit to the Common Ground Country Fair is an event for all of our senses … we have the vision of seeing full grown men pitching forkfuls of cow patties as the competition heats up for the Harry S. Truman Manure Throwing Contest. Our noses are tickled by the scent coming from boughs of Sweet Annie artemisia. Then our taste buds are tickled by the incredibly diverse and different foods available. We run our hands through stacks of raw fleece or feel the texture of finished materials in clothing, blankets and more. Our eyes are thrilled by the abundant, colored vegetables on display in the Exhibition Hall or offered for sale in the Farmers’ Market.
Then there are the sounds of the Fair: children laughing, and voices of keynote speakers filled with passion and emotion for their particular topic. The Fiddlers’ Showcase on Sunday morning fills the air with jigs and reels. Elsewhere you hear the sharp commands that direct sheep dogs through their paces.
There are ample opportunities to enjoy the great entertainment that has always been part of every Common Ground Country Fair. Maybe it’s the acoustic guitar and bright voice of a young woman singing from the Spotlight Stage. She’s interpreting a Joni Mitchell song, or is it Joan Baez? From over the berm near the Amphitheater, you hear the rumble of a bass and the sting of an electric guitar signaling that a hot rhythm and blues band is working dancers into frenzy. Speaking of dancers, can you hear the caller down at the contra dance? He’s directing couples through spins and twirls, up one line and down another. A roving trio of accordionists enchants one group of listeners before moving on to share their music with others. A band of Morris dancers prances by (no word but prance could describe this), the jingle of their bells and the snap of their handkerchiefs hanging in the air.
Now another rhythm grabs your attention … This one seems to be working its way through the Fair. Then you see it, a parade of drummers, tambourine shakers, stilt walkers and … walking vegetables? It’s the children and they have their veggie costumes on. They move to the drumbeats and flow through the fairgrounds spreading the word of good, healthy, organic food for all. Back at the Children’s Area their friends are enjoying a numerous activities. Maybe a master magician is baffling them with slight of hand or a talented musician has them joining a sing-a-long, young voices bringing you yet another sound of the Common Ground County Fair. We hope that these descriptions will entice you to make an opportunity to enjoy the great variety of entertainment that you will find at this year’s Fair.
--Tim Forsman, Entertainment Coordinator
The Entertainment application process for the 2008 Fair is closed. Applications went out early March 2008 and were due on March 28, 2008. 2008 application materials are posted below for your reference only. If you would like to apply to the 2009 Fair,
please send your contact information to MOFGA
or check this space during the winter of 2009.
2008 Entertainment Application Cover Letter (Word doc)
2008 Entertainment Guidelines (Word doc)
General Guidelines For Participating in the Fair
2008 Entertainment Application (PDF)
If you would like to receive an application in the mail, please send your contact information to the Fair office.
Remember - the Entertainment Area is open to residents of Maine only.
There are several entertainment areas at the Fair. The Amphitheater features lively bands, contra dances, fiddle contests and other large-scale events. The Spotlight Stage has smaller, more intimate performances. The Children’s Area stages feature events geared toward our younger audience. We also have roving entertainers who move around the fairgrounds.
Please understand that we have lots of applicants each year. We also have a limited schedule and budget. The number of entertainers who volunteer their performances to the Fair always heartens us. Your contribution allows MOFGA to use its limited budgetary resources to support farmer-led educational presentations, which highlight the value of organic farming. Any help that you feel capable of giving MOFGA and the Fair will be greatly appreciated!