And don t eat a lot of stuff that s going to make you sick to your stomachs. . . . To get a good look at the outcome of the annual lobster boat races requires a good vantage point. Several races are held in summer as part of fairs and festivals. Maine has many festivals and fairs, but only 25 can call themselves true agricultural fairs. And of those 25, only three are state fairs, drawing exhibitors from across Maine.
Agricultural fairs have specific criteria mostly related to promoting agriculture.
The state supports the fairs with funds from harness racing, a big draw at many of these events. Some of the rules are pretty detailed, such as if a fair wants to have pulling events, it has to have a minimum of three different kinds of animals. Pulling events are popular strength competitions for animals. Shackle the horse to a load of logs. Shackle the oxen to a load of stones.