NORTHAMPTON — If thrills are what you are looking for this weekend, then look no further than Northampton’s Three County Fair.
America’s oldest ongoing agricultural fair begins on Friday at 4 p.m. and continues through Labor Day, with thrills that are dangerous and others that are simply just “thrilling.”
The thrills begin soon after the gates open at 5:30 p.m. with AMDC Wall of Death – America’s Original Extreme Motorcycle Thrill Show, which also continues at 7 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. through Monday.
The show, true to its name, is both extreme and death-defying.
The sport involves a silo-shaped wooden cylinder 30 feet in diameter where, inside, motorcycle daredevils, both men and women, travel along the vertical wall performing tricks and acrobatic riding.
“The thrill show dates back 115 years. It is 20 minutes long with five acts featuring antique Indian Motocycles from the 1920s and Harley-Davidson dirt bikes from the 1970s, as well as four-wheel go carts,” said current show owner Bill Applegate in an interview with The Republican.
“Audiences will see amazing things like riders with their hands on the handlebars while standing on the cycle, and there are other riders in another act who will be sitting sideways. Another act features riders really whipping around, both up and down, the drome, while another act has two machines riding the wall at the same time,” he added.
Don’t plan on sitting down to watch the show.
“Watchers must stand up at the top of the drome and look down to watch all the action. You will be thrilled and chilled while watching our daredevils go at it, and you won’t believe your eyes as they defy all the laws of gravity and sanity,” Applegate said.
Bad driving is a pre-requisite for participating in the multiple demolition derbies at the Three County Fair, where drivers compete to be the “last car standing” after deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another.
Presented by Skyfire Productions, who call the demolition derbies “hazardous and high-risk sports,” the smash and crash fun begins on Friday at 7 p.m. with the Minivan Demo Derby and 4-6 Cylinder Compact Demo Derby, and continues on Saturday at 5 p.m. with Enduro Racing and the School Bus Demo Derby, followed on Sunday at 7 p.m. by Stock and Modified Lawnmower Racing and the 4-6-8 Cylinder Demo Derby. Things wrap up on Monday with the Enduro Racing Qualifiers and School Bus Demo Derby at 2 p.m.
“Our thrill shows are very popular, especially our demo derbies. We are the only fair in New England offering a School Bus Demo Derby where schools and organizations paint the buses, which are provided by Skyfire Productions, for prizes,” said Taylor Haas, the fair’s executive director.
Admission to the demo derbies at the fair’s grandstand is $8 for ages 4 and older.
New this year: Axe Women Loggers
New this year at the fair with several shows daily are the Axe Women Loggers of Maine.
“I don’t consider our show to be a thrill show. We are a safe heritage sport that will be exciting for audiences to watch, but we’re not taking risks that would make the sport dangerous. Unlike them, we are all about head-to-head competition and performing demos for the audience,” said Alissa Wetherbee, founder of the group along with her husband Mike Wetherbree, who serves as the announcer during the show.
Boasting “great old-fashioned family fun” on their website, the Axe Women are an all-female team of logging sports athletes including world champion choppers, sawyers, logrollers and axe throwers who hold several world records and titles.
Among the several competitions on display, logrolling is the most popular with many in the audience.
“It’s always a crowdpleaser. Audiences will see two ladies logrolling in a 7,000-gallon pool with the winner determined by who can stay on the log the longest. Contestants can roll the log backward and forwards, splash their competitor with water, bounce up and down, but they can’t touch one another. We save logrolling for the end of the show because it is such a crowd pleaser. Audiences love to see people falling into the water,” Wetherbee said.
Midway fun and fair food
The thrills continue each day for young and old alike with rides and games at the fair’s Midway, provided by Rockwell Amusements.
Musical entertainment throughout the four-day fair includes, on Friday, the Johnny Memphis Band, Tom Ingram Band, Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze; on Saturday, The Hendersons Blues Band, Janet Ryan & Straight Up, Reminisants, Frank Manzi Band; on Sunday, Lauren Fleit, Mojo Wagon, Poor Monroe and Eric Lee, Moose & The High Tops; and Monday, Greg Reil, and Chick’n Wire.
Other fun things to do and see include the Antique Engine & Tractor Showcase, Baby Barnyard, Wee Wee Wee Racing Pigs, Draft Horse Wagon Rides, Classic Car Show, Magic by Ed Pop, Marketplace presented by Florence Bank with its handmade crafts and more, Farm Museum, Racing Museum, Smith Vocational & Agricultural High School Showcase, Handicraft and Youth Exhibits which are a staple at agricultural fairs, and competitions such as the King Arthur Baking Competition, Pie Eating Contest, and the fair’s first-ever mullet competition.
A Food Truck Festival with 16 different food vendors — offering meatballs, cannoli, tacos, Philippine street food, sausage grinders, burgers, French fries, hot dogs, ice cream and “fried everything,” noted Haas — will be spread over two locations on the fairgrounds along with a beer hall for those looking for a cooling libation other than soda, water, milkshakes and other beverages.
Originally founded as the Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Agricultural Society back in 1818, the fair remains true to its agricultural heritage with several livestock competitions, agricultural exhibits, tractor pulls, a draft horse challenge and more.
Celebrating their 208th consecutive fair, the Three County Fair is “special,” Haas said about the oldest, continuous running fair in the United States.
“I believe we are special because the Three County Fair has everything a person could want in a traditional fair. We want e everyone to be able to attend our fair and make ourselves accessible to the community with an affordable admission, free parking, and plenty of free entertainment when you enter the fairgrounds,” Haas said.
Gates open Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning at 10 a.m.
Tickets in advance online at 3countyfair.com are $30 for a four-day pass for ages 12 and older. Single-day tickets begin online at $13.50 for adults ages 12-64 and $10 for seniors 65 and older. Single-day tickets at the gate are $15 adults and $10 seniors. Veterans with ID are $10 at the gate, and youth 11 and younger are admitted free.
Parking is free.
The Three County Fair is located on 54 Fair St. in Northampton.
For a complete list of activities and events, visit 3countyfair.com.
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