WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Meet a Fixture at the North Haverhill Fair

Meet a Fixture at the North Haverhill Fair

North Haverhill, New Hampshire - July 24, 2009

Like many fairs throughout our region, the North Haverhill Fair started mainly focused on agriculture-- something still popular with kids.

"See all the animals. You get to pet them. They are really soft," fairgoer Alex Selig said.

But over the years, it has grown with games, rides and lots of good food.

"It's fun, there's a lot of things to do," Selig said. "Good food... fried dough. I like the rides."

The fair is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year and there is at least one person who has been around from the beginning.

Gerald Stoddard began working this fair when he was 23 years old. He's been doing it ever since.

"We started on a cow pasture up in North Haverhill, then we moved to the VFW field in North Haverhill, then in '82 we come down here," Stoddard recalled. "We started it more for 4-H. It was 4-H cattle and we just set up a tent to hitch them to, yup."

That is a tradition that is still alive today. 4-H students, like Rachel Cohen, come to show their animals.

"Because it's fun and you get to play with other people and you get to be with your friends and your animals," Cohen explained.

Stoddard managed the fairgrounds all year-round. He's retired now and he says that these 23 acres are pretty much his home.

"Lots of times you see people who have been involved for 65 years just hanging on but this is not someone hanging on," fair president David Keith said of Stoddard. "He's still highly involved and part of this fair."

When asked what keeps him going, Stoddard is a man of few words.

"I don't know," he said. "I guess I like it."

And for all those fairgoers out there, what's not to like?

The fair runs through Sunday. Ten bucks gets you through the gate.

Click here for more information on the North Haverhill Fair.

Adam Sullivan - WCAX News