Grange Fair returns for its 132nd year
Produce displayed to be judged. Photos by Kat Sheridan
Daniel, 9, explores some of the prizes. 
Joseph from Ingoldsby Orchards cuts some apples for tasting. 
The bee keeping exhibit. 
The flower display. 
Addy and Elly DuBois, 10, play the doll game. 
The antique coins at the Dartmouth Historical Society. 
John Garcia shows engraving techniques. 
Some of the produce on display. 
The preserves and honey on display. 
The kids' pumpkin crafts. 
Samuel, 7, looks at the prizes. 
A smocked dress. 
Nina, who creates the quilts. 
A quilt showing one of Nina's dachshunds. 
Nina's quilts on display. 
The award winning celery.
Produce displayed to be judged. Photos by Kat Sheridan
Daniel, 9, explores some of the prizes.
Joseph from Ingoldsby Orchards cuts some apples for tasting.
The bee keeping exhibit.
The flower display.
Addy and Elly DuBois, 10, play the doll game.
The antique coins at the Dartmouth Historical Society.
John Garcia shows engraving techniques.
Some of the produce on display.
The preserves and honey on display.
The kids' pumpkin crafts.
Samuel, 7, looks at the prizes.
A smocked dress.
Nina, who creates the quilts.
A quilt showing one of Nina's dachshunds.
Nina's quilts on display.
The award winning celery.
For 132, the Dartmouth Grange hosted games, homegrown goods and a penny sale with many visiting to explore the fun.
Each year, the Grange raises around $6,000 from the fair for things such as the kitchen and events, but also for their scholarship fund.
The fair was started in 1894, originally in conjunction with the Westport Grange. There was a spring and a fall fair, but the fall fair was the more popular option.
“Generations of families have been coming to the fair,” said Sam Manley, a retired Grange president, “It’s really nice to see all the neighbors and … meet new faces.”
According to him, this year's fair was a bit smaller than previous years. He explained: The weather and hungry deer were not good for gardeners.
“But we couldn’t have asked for a nicer weekend,” he added, “Crowds have been great. We’re having fun.”
Competing garderners entered their flowers from dahlias and yarrow, home-grown vegetables and fruit, and baked goods with their recipes. There was even an oddity category, where entries included “pink lemonade blueberries.”
Upstairs, a local artist Nina showcased her quilts on which detailed images of her dachshunds were fashioned from hundreds of pieces of cloth. Kids submitted decorated pumpkins, one sporting a dead June bug and a dead bumblebee. Others displayed a miniature house and a smocked dress.
This year, the organizers handed out a special ribbon in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The “Award of Excellence” when to some honey, a large celery and a rhubarb pie, among other entries.
The fair opened with a pie-eating contest on Friday, Sept. 11, with two age divisions. Brin Silva won the younger in the younter group and Nate Mathias in the older group.
Kids got to play old-fashioned games: hatchet throwing (with plastic hatchets and a bristle target,) ring toss and more for a chance to win tickets for prizes.
The Dartmouth Historical Society displayed copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the BIll of Rights. There were also old coins available to see, and re-enactor John Garcia demonstrated old engraving methods.
Also at the fair: a bee demonstration and apple tasting from the Ingoldsby Orchards in Westport.
Daniel, age 9, said his favorite part of the fair was the tickets, the apples and the fresh made food.
“It’s not bad,” he said.
