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.