Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-01-04
FAIR DATES CONFLICTING.
Greenfield Fair Association Thinks the
Brattleboro Society is Encroaching
On IT,

Brattleboro Society is Encroaching
On It.
The Greenfield correspondent of the
Springfield Republican says:
Although it is far cry to next fall
and its cattle shows, the stage is al
ready being set for a renewal of the
oldtimc rivalry between Greenfield and
Brattleboro with reference to the dates
of the annual fairs in both towns. Val
ley fair officials, after much shutting
about of their fair dates, first ahead of
then Immediately following the local
show, are said now to be contemplate
ing putting en- their fair the same
week as Greenfield, which is, the week
Of Sept. 90. The up-river society has
made no definite statement as yet be-
yond intimating that they were in
tending to conflict either with Green
field 8 dates or with those of the East
ern States exposition at Springfield,
which comes the week before, and the
impression was left that Greenfield s
week was the one they intended to
take. Which is a very interesting sit
uation, for the reason that the dates
of Massachusetts fairs are fixed by the
state board of agriculture, which per
mits no changes after the schedule of
the year has finally been made up. The
dates for the local show were original
ly fixed for Tuesday and Wednesday,
Sept. "a and 25, but after learning
that the Eastern States fair was com.
ing the week before, President +. w.
Burnham was able to secure a change
of one day, making the dates Wedncs-
day and Thursday, Sept. 25 and 26 in
stead. This will make it possible to
ship stock and attractions from the
Springfield show here in time for the
opening of the fair Tuesday evening,
and assist the show materially.
For many years the Brattleboro fair
was held either one week or two weeks
later than the Greenfield show. The
two draw business from overlapping
territory, and to have conflict in
dates means q loss to each society. If
they were week apart it is unlikely
that either would feel the competition
of the other, so many people taking
in both attractions as q regular Gus
tom. A few years ago Brattleboro
moved their dates back to the same
week as Greenfield and the latter also
moved, taking the week left vacant by
the Vermont show. The result was
that Brattleboro got rainy weather,
while Greenfield had two excellent
days. For two years now the Valley
fair has not been held and Greenfield
has experienced tremendous increase
in fair attendance, the crowds last fall
totalling more than $4,000 in two days
and two nights. With this record at
their back the Franklin county agricul-
tural society officials take the stand
that they are able to take care of
themselves in the matter and if their
Vermont neighbors choose to exercise
squatter sovereignty on fair dates, the
competition will hurt there fully as
much as it will down here.
The year just opening before the
agricultural society is the most proms-
ing in a long time. After last Sep
TENDER s unusually successful show and
| with no expense to be incurred in the
way of permanent improvements at
will mean a big slice taken off the
debt, if it is not paid entirely. The
latter is the goal President Burnham
has set for the year S work, and when
he has set goals in the past two years
he has usually attained them. He has
already begun work on publicity plans
for 1918, and these will be put into
use before great while. He does not
anticipate that the war will affect fair
attendance appreciably and takes for
his criterion the experience of Ca
madam fairs, which entertained bigger
attendances after war started than be-
fore.