103rd Littleville Fair sees record-breaking attendance

Bradley Kicza, 5, of Deerfield with Whitey and Chance readies for the oxen challenge for youth at the Littleville Fair Aug. 2.
Reminder Publishing photos by Amy Porter

CHESTER — The 103rd Littleville Fair had a record-breaking weekend Aug. 1-3, with sunny skies all three days.

Highlights included truck and diesel truck pulls, dairy and beef cattle show and ox teamsters challenges, juried crafts and homemade goods in Exhibit Hall, live bands outdoors and lots of free events for kids.

Littleville Fair Association President Moe Boisseau and Treasurer James Burke said the total three-day attendance was 3,212, not counting the more than 520 children that attended, which is a new record for the fair. Many of the visitors praised the improvements that have been made the last couple of years through grants and volunteer efforts.

Burke said in the past few years, over $200,000 was spent to upgrade fair facilities. “The future for the fair is to start installing drainages and pave the main road starting this fall, utilizing $100,000 of grant funds from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources,” Burke said.

Saturday morning was the oxen challenge for youth who were showing their skills with teamed working steer, leading them around a course and pulling challenges. Ten-year-old Jameson Fournier of Westhampton climbed on the back of one of the steers after a successful showing in the just-cart class. His father, Rob Fournier, said it takes four years for a steer to become a fully trained oxen. Jameson, a 4-H member, shows under the name of JJB Meadow Farming.

Also entering the steer pulling challenge was 5-year-old Bradley Kickza of Deerfield with Whitey and Chance, who seemed more than willing to follow the lead of their young handler.

Three-year-old Brooke Loomis of Granville was enjoying free face painting by Phim Mar of Happy Face Painting, before trying her hand milking Daisy Dayville, a new cow exhibit for kids. Brooke’s father also observed that the fair has “come a long way in the last couple of years.”

In the new Craft Barn next door, Ed Popielarczyk was captivating his young audience with his magic show and balloon sculpting.

Volunteers Chris and Jeff Brooks of Westfield were barbecuing chicken outdoors for the afternoon dinner in the Dining Hall. ‘We’ve been doing this for quite a few years now. We definitely enjoy it,” said Jeff Brooks. “It’s a good little fair to help out,” added Chris Brooks. Sunday featured a turkey dinner in the hall.

Volunteers Mary Junkins and Nancy Boisseau were selling raffle tickets in the Exhibit Hall, where blue ribbons were plentiful for the display of plants and produce, quilts and arts and crafts. Among them, David Janisieski of Blandford earned a handful of blue ribbons with his potted herbs; Andrew Mason of Huntington won blue for his turtle in the category of children under 9 paper plate art; and Rachel Gordon of Peru won blue for her handmade sculpture of an octopus and pirate ship.

Outside, the Family Jungle of Westfield invited brave fairgoers to meet their snakes, reptiles and large tortoises. David Gould of Feeding Hills, who said he always loved snakes, helped owners Nelly and Robbie Rivera to hold their 8 foot Burmese python for a photo, while Nelly also had their Asian water monitor on a leash.

Elizabeth Massa, a multi-blue ribbon winner for her photographs and rock collection, and Karen McTaggart of the Western Mass Hilltown Hikers had a booth featuring progress on the Chester Granite Saw, a WMHH restoration project.

Chester-Blandford Police Chief Jen Dubiel, Officer Santi Messina and his therapy dog Nikko all smiled for the camera, next to Chester Fire Department volunteers Madalyn Smith, Florence Bolduc and Courtney and Robert Littlefield.

Following the children’s blueberry pie-eating contest, Littleville Fair volunteers also took a turn, some with a pumpkin pie and all baked by Lee Myers, which Leslie Stokowski, Stephanie Hunter, Jeff Stokowski, Nancy Boisseau and Andy Myers all happily dove into. Nancy Boisseau finished first.

The nonprofit Littleville Fair Association is composed entirely of volunteers that plan, manage, and operate the long-running country fair that is committed to advocating for agriculture and agricultural events, as well as year-round fundraising events for the fair. The next event the association has planned is a car show on Sept. 13 in the Fairgrounds on Kinnebrook Road.