Westfield Fair (Westfield, MA)

Dates Of Event: August 19-21 (it’s usually held the third weekend of August of each year)

Location: 135 Russellville Rd, Westfield, MA

Hours: Friday 5-10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m., – 10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Cost: $8, $6 for seniors (over 65),  Children under 12 get in free with an adult

Parking: There was ample parking on the fair grounds

Dog Friendly: No

Highlights: petting zoo, animals, tractor pull, demolition derby, arts and crafts

Westfield Fair

Summers bring to mind beach weather, vacations along the shore and, of course, fairs.  In fact, fairs often mark the winding down of the summer vacation season.  And no one may do city fairs better than Westfield, MA.

The 89th Westfield Fair had a very down home/country feel to it.  From the sheep show (yes you read that right), to the arts and crafts fair and the tractor pull, everything seemed more like “country fun”than the city fun I am more accustomed to.  I’m always game for new experiences, though, so I figured I give them a try.

Children from the Pioneer Valley (the section of the area that encompasses the Connecticut River in Massachusetts such as Westfield, Springfield and Chicopee to name a few cities and towns) showed off the animals they have been caring for.  I was taken by surprise by how the sheep seemed to like to cuddle.  It was remarkable how these little kids could handle and treat these animals with such care.  They also seemed very proud of their animals and the work they put into caring for them.

The sheep were evaluated and prizes were awarded to the best in show.

There was also a cattle show.  They take this show very seriously as you can tell by the care they were given.

The cows were also shown off and evaluated.  Some of the cows did not want me to moove, though (sorry, I couldn’t resist that one).  So, the children had to encourage them a bit.  Prizes were awarded to the participants.  Again, it is very cool to see some children who are barely as tall as the cows they were working with handle them so well.  Many of the participants have grown up in families that farm so they have a lot of experience in husbandry.  The pride they all take in their work is evident by their reactions.

Perhaps the most popular event during the day time was the tractor pull.  The Western Mass Tractor Pullers Association sponsored the event which featured tractors of various styles and eras.

The highlight of the event for me was the petting zoo and alpacas.

The goats, pig and other animals took the food from everyone very gently and they were very friendly.

I’ve always marveled at the folksy ways of the Western MA community.  Their down home, folksy ways are evident in so many ways, even their arts and crafts.

And no one knows how to bake like the folks in the western part of the state.  Someone had the unenviable task of tasting all of the goodness on these shelves to decide the winner of the bake fair (the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake won).  Talk about pure drudgery!

There were several fun events and activities for children such as a climbing wall, a kiddie tractor pull event, musical performers, face painting (I went with the cat design), food trucks (the fries were to die for) and, of course, amusement rides (I declined).  A play train was available to cart you around to the various events.

Vehicles, specifically trucks, are a staple of the fair.  Everywhere you look there seems to be a souped up vehicle tricked out or a vehicle used for farming on display.

As we were leaving, we could see the participants of the scheduled demolition derby prepping for the event.

I can’t wait until next year’s fair!

Below is a video of the tractor pull event.

Tractor Pull At The Westfield Fair

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