The North Haverhill Fair celebrates its 82nd year with perfect weather

Bernie Marvin

North Haverhill Fair directors and visitors lined up for the official ribbon cutting that opened the new Keith Office were, left to right Mike Perkins, Diane Ingalls, Gary Scruton, Jim Aldrich, John Aldrich, Linda Stoddard, Chris Dellinger, Hannah Leland, Executive Councilor Karen Liot-Hill, Debbie Bigelow, Linda Keith, President David Lackie, Bob Stoddard, Tim Clough and Amy Crocker. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

North Haverhill, NH – It was a rare weekend last week that allowed the North Haverhill Fair to be in town for five straight rainless, stormless days. It was perfect fair weather, and the crowds attending this 82-year-old North Country family tradition were happy with all they could see, eat, and ride on over the five days from July 11 to 26, 2026.

The 45-acre fairgrounds were first occupied by the fair and its associated buildings in 1982 after leaving its former home behind the present-day James R. Morrill Municipal Building on Route 10 just north of North Haverhill Village.

It was about a mile from that spot that the fair was born, as the Pink Granite Grange Fair, in 1946, after being set up for a couple of years as a one-day agricultural event for local kids and their 4-H animals. Nothing has changed as far as that goes, but the entire fair management organization and its volunteer base have grown significantly to accommodate and host the annual North Haverhill Fairs, which draw hundreds of support personnel.

Over the years, under a series of fair directors, presidents, and other fair helpers, it has blossomed into one of the North Country's premier early-summer events, attracting thousands from across New England and beyond.

As I look back at my participation with the North Haverhill Fair, I actually began my commitment that has lasted from 1979 to the present, first as a member of the Haverhill Police Department, one of several officers walking the beat throughout the fair's presence in town. 

Back then it was only a couple of days in the early fall; then they added days here and there; now it is in session for nearly five full days. When you look over the schedule of exhibits, activities, contests, competitions, and other events, you sometimes wonder how they did it all in two or three days.

This year, the entertainment included Taylor's Story, a musical narration of Taylor Swift's greatest hits, as well as performances by the up-and-coming local hometown artist Karri Blood. Along with Thayer Stage entertainment, fairgoers enjoyed a truck show, a log-loading contest, a big-wig truck pull, many motorized events, daily animal-pulling contests, the ever-popular racing pigs, and live music shows every day.

Throughout the five days of the fair, visitors wandered through art and photography shows, crafts and collections, scarecrow art and Lego creations. There were a multitude of contests and shows, including the popular King Arthur baking contest, a classic car show, a demolition derby, a glowing competition, and other popular shows throughout the vast fairgrounds.

The animal programs are exciting for the public and for 4-H participants, with continued programs inside the Rutherford Building, one of the most popular structures on the fairground acreage.  

This year, as the new Farm Museum fills up with an amazing array of implements, tools, and early American farming machinery, it has proved to be a very popular area for fair visitors to visit, often at the same time as the Doc and Katharine Blaisdell Maple Museum.

The highlight of the fair was the construction and opening of the new Keith Office, a sterling building with ample space for the staff who manage the fair's activities. From the outside, it looks a bit like a long barn and is a handsome addition to the buildings already there that have been either moved there or built there since the fair relocated to that field in 1982.

Kevin Fagnant and crew built the new Keith office, which features a typical New England structure atop the roof amidships (in the middle), known by many as a cupola. As David Lackie will tell you, it is not a cupola; it is a belvedere.

He offered that Mr. Fagnant commented that it was a belvedere. Although it looks like a cupola, a belvedere is an Italian word meaning a structure on the top of a building that provides an elegant view. Of course, a view of the fairgrounds is an elegant view and will remain so for many years to come.

It was a happy occasion, with many of the Keith clan gathered to salute the family's involvement, along with many other families who have taken the time to volunteer for this very nice program, born and raised in North Haverhill, NH.

The actual cutting of the ribbon at the start of this year's fair on Wednesday evening came after some introductory words and a brief fair history. On hand for the event were many former directors and their families, friends of the fair, and a few others with connections to state government in Concord.

They included Executive Councilor Karen Liot-Hill and Haverhill resident Rick Ladd, who, for many years, was an education leader in Concord and served for 18 years as an elected representative. He announced his retirement earlier in the evening to the surprise of many. He was a friend of the Town of Haverhill, where he lives, and of the North Haverhill Fair.

Taking a little time to speak about the great weather and crowds who flocked to the fair over last weekend, are fair directors, left to right Gary Scruton, John Aldrich, Bob Stoddard, President David Lackie and NH Representative Rick Ladd. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Showing a new sign for the Keith Office that will be permanently displayed on a newly constructed administration building at the North Haverhill Fairgrounds are left to right, a Keith son, Tom, Fair President David Lackie and a Keith daughter, Debbie Bigelow at the North Haverhill Fair that was in town from Wednesday through Sunday last week. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

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Local Singer-Songwriter Karli Blood Headlines At North Haverhill Fair

By Trish Griswold

Karli Blood is the featured performer at this year’s 82nd Annual North Haverhill Fair. Karli is a Ryegate, VT, resident and a Blue Mountain Union School graduate. She is currently enrolled as a public relations major at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she is also pursuing a career in country music. - Courtesy photo

North Haverhill, NH - On Saturday, July 25th, Ryegate’s very own Karli Blood will light up Thayer Stage at the North Haverhill Fair with her positive energy, musical talent, and country vibe. For the 20-year-old college student, this opportunity is one she never thought possible. “Growing up, I never imagined I’d get the chance to take the main stage at such a special event,” Karli says, “and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”

Karli’s passion for music began at an early age, giving private performances for her family. Ironically, however, it was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that sparked her drive to create music. Like many people, Karli found herself struggling with the lack of social interaction outside her immediate family, so she turned to music as an outlet. Karli set up her dad’s old DJ equipment in a loft above her parents' garage, a cozy little space she fondly dubbed “the barn,” and began belting out a myriad of well-known hits from country to pop, rock, and even theater music. She started teaching herself to play the ukulele and began writing songs as an emotional escape, transforming her negative feelings into something more positive.

“[The pandemic] was definitely a hard time,” Karli says, reflecting on the perils of quarantine. “I found that music really helped me through that. It was definitely an outlet for me to express how I was feeling, and I was able to put some of those feelings into lyrics.”

A few years later, at age 16, Karli gave her first public performance—a duet at her school’s spring concert. In August of that same year, with her dad running sound and lights, Karli gave her first solo performance when she opened for Bad Horsey at Sunset Rock RV Park in Isle La Mott, VT. “I couldn’t have done it without my parents, brother, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends,” Karli says. “They never fail to show up and support me. Without them being there, I probably wouldn’t have the courage to get up on stage.” 

From that moment on, Karli’s music career blossomed. Bryce McNall, the lead singer of Bad Horsey, connected Karli with a producer, who is originally from Vermont but travels back and forth to Nashville helping find up-and-coming talent and assisting them in the process of producing tracks with in-studio bands. This introduction was a catalyst for what came next.

In October 2022, during her sophomore year of high school, Karli ventured off to Nashville, the heart of Music City, where she recorded her first original song, titled “What We Used To Be.” The following February, Karli played her first official gig with a backing track and her guitar at the Iron Rail in Woodsville. She continued to perform locally at bars, campgrounds, and various community events before returning to Nashville three months later to record “Nashville Cowboys,” one of her most popular songs to date. According to Karli, “Nashville Cowboys” was released in September 2023 as part of an extended play mini-album with a collection of songs from her two recording sessions. To date, Karli has released eight songs in total.

When asked to choose her favorite original song, Karli ponders for a moment. “I think ‘Nashville Cowboys’ because it’s fun to dance to, and that’s the kind of music I’m hoping to release if I ever get more opportunities to record. But I also like ‘Doin’ Good.’ Those are probably my top two.”

Without question, Karli Blood’s music career has skyrocketed since those early years of belting out KIDZ BOP-type playlists for her family. Following her graduation from Blue Mountain Union School in June of 2024, Karli moved to Nashville, where she currently attends Belmont University while simultaneously forging her path in the music industry. Karli originally enrolled as an education major, as she was uncertain about her long-term career aspirations. “I needed to start somewhere,” she remarks. “I thought that might lead me into music education or becoming a teacher, but I went into it knowing that I was probably going to change my major.”

While networking with other students through various organizations that she had joined, Karli learned about public relations (PR). “I didn’t even really know that was a thing when I was searching for majors in high school, and then I talked to a lot of other students who spoke so highly of the program and the professors and explained what PR was. I said, ‘I need to try this.’”

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Karli switched majors and is pleased with her decision. “I had a reflection moment of, ‘Why am I in Nashville spending so much money for an education degree when I can do that anywhere for a lot cheaper?’ I feel like I should be taking advantage of the connections and the professors and the programs related to music.” 

Though PR is not an official major within Belmont’s School of Music, Karli explains, public relations is certainly an integral part of the music industry. “PR is important from an artist’s perspective with the age of social media, but there’s so much that you can do with PR even beyond music. If I wanted to learn how to promote myself or other artists and stay in the music industry, I 100% could, but if my goals in life change, I will have job security in other parts of the workforce because PR is so broad.”

The life-changing opportunities afforded to Karli in Nashville, both personally and professionally, have been plentiful. As part of Dolly U, a partnership between Belmont University, Dolly Parton and CTK Enterprises, Karli recently took a class called “Dollyology: Branding, Leadership & Strategic Communication to Customer Relationship Management in the Dollyverse.” This course focused exclusively on Dolly Parton’s branding as an artist and her journey in the public eye.

In addition to a rigorous course schedule, Karli is a member of Phi Mu, the second-oldest female sorority in the United States, as well as Towering Traditions, an orientation council that supports incoming Belmont University freshmen on move-in day and throughout the school year. She co-leads the Belmont Boulevard Team, a small group of students who create all of the social media content for Belmont’s Instagram and TikTok pages. Karli also spent 16 days with a group of fellow PR majors traveling through Europe, starting in Madrid, Spain, with additional stops in Lisbon and Porto, Portugal. 

In her spare time, Karli is on stage in Nashville. In April 2025, she auditioned for the Honky Tonk School, a highly acclaimed training and development organization. Karli earned a spot filling in for singers who perform on Broadway. She plays consistently with a multitude of bands on the “Tootsies Circuit,” a network of venues that include Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk, Honky Tonk Central, and Rippy’s Honky Tonk. Karli performs at various times of day and in different environments. She also “runs the bucket,” taking song requests and accepting tips from the audience. “It has been a great way to connect with people in the music industry in Nashville and artists that are chasing the same dream that I am.”

Karli’s journey into the music spotlight is beyond inspirational. She is ambitious, passionate, humble, and kind. She is also a positive role model and a beacon of inspiration for those who have the courage to dream big dreams. Karli’s advice to budding young artists is simple and genuine. “Keep going if music is something you truly love. It won’t always be easy, but it is so much better to take the chance than to look back years later wishing you'd been brave enough to try.”

While Karli is chasing her dreams in Nashville during the school year, she spends her summers in Vermont with her family, pursuing those same dreams here at home. Karli recently opened for Waterbury, VT, native Jamie Lee Thurston at The Dispensary in St. Johnsbury. Other venues on her summer tour included 98 Mill, McIndoes Academy Community Center, Sunset Rock Lake Shore, and Kingdom Campground, with her final stop being Thayer Stage at the North Haverhill Fair. 

“I feel nothing but pride to represent my community and put on a really fun show for everyone who shows up and supports me,” Karli says. “I think it’s going to be a great time, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Karli Blood (second from left) has received unwavering support from her family throughout her musical journey. Her dad, Scott (far left), is her lighting and sound technician. Her mom, Melissa (far right), is her manager, and her younger brother, Kason (second from right), helps Scott with set-up and tear-down.“It’s definitely not a one-woman show, even if it appears that way,” Karli says. - Courtesy photo

Karli Blood serves as a “fill in” for singers who perform on the “Tootsies Circuit,” a collection of honky- tonks in Music City. She is seen singing on stage at the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway.- Courtesy photo