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2016 Rutland State Fair - 1

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Vermont State Fair circa 1941

HistoryÊ of Ê theÊ fairÊ sinceÊ 1846 The Rutland County Agricultural Society, Inc., does business as the Vermont State Fair.

In the fall of 1846, the first Rutland fair took place in a field near Castleton with Frederick Button being the first President of the Rutland County Agricultural Society.

After moving around Rutland County for a few years, the Rutland fair grew closer to Rutland City, sometimes setting up on land owned by John Cain (now Grove Street north of Crescent) or on the old Baxter Estate.

In 1859 the first Rutland Fair was held at it’s present location.

The present land was known as the Rutland County Park back then.

There is a provision in a deed that there must be a agricultural fair held on said property once a year.

Thankfully, the great 1868 Rutland fire left the fairgrounds untouched although fire touched the fair in the early 20th century (see below).

The first year the Fair was closed was in 1917 when the State of Vermont closed the Fair with all other public gatherings due to an epidemic of influenza.

The fairgrounds belongs to the RCAS, but if they do not have a Fair, it would convert to the original heirs and assigns of the original subscribers.

The Rutland R.R. railyard came in 1849 and after a few years be-

gan putting extra cars on to bring people from all over Vermont and western New York.

The Fair started as a one-day event, moved to a two-day event and in 1893 the Fair was held for three days. By 1933 the Fair was a six-day event.

In 1926 the Rutland fair was rated the third largest in New England and among the top 10 in the nation.

The discussion of pedestrian and automobile tunnels were first discussed in 1915. The auto tunnel was built in 1991 and the pedestrian tunnel was built in 1992.

On June 17, 1939, a fire completely destroyed the grandstand.

The reconstruction of the grandstand took just 40 days.

In 1942, with the United States in conflict with World War II, the Fair was only a one day event. Two cattle barns burned during the 1964 Fair.

The summer of 1970 brought the fire of the Arts and Crafts building. (now the location of the Presidents Building) In 1972 The Rutland Fair became officially the “Vermont State Fair” The Fair has had top name entertainers such as Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Conway Twitty, Ronnie Milsap, and Charlie Pride—and the same excellent tradition will continue into the future.

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Admisson

One can gain admission to the fair by purchasing admission or visiting on a free admission day. Ride admission may be gained by either purchasing a wristband or tickets, depending on what is up for purchase.

Wristbands can be bought for various prices on certain days. These wristbands allow anyone wearing them to become a passenger on any ride or rides unlimited times while the fair remains open that day. On days in which wristbands are on sale, admission must be purchased. On other days, however, admission is free, but one must purchase tickets to become a passenger on any rides. Tickets may be purchased by certain numbers and certain rides costs a person wishing to become a passenger a certain number of tickets. Please check at the fair gate for changes in prices and ticket details.

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Vermont state fair schedule The 171st Vermont State Fair: Daily Schedule Aug. 16 - 20, 2016 TUESDAY - AUG. 16 5 p.m. - Gates Open 6:30 p.m. - Rocky McCoy - Sugarhouse Stage 7 p.m. - Woodbooger Demolition Derby - Casella Grandstand

WEDNESDAY - AUG. 17 8 a.m. - Gates Open 11 a.m. - Horse Pulls - under 3100 - Pulling Arena Noon - Adirondack Fiddlers - Sugarhouse Stage Noon - Horsing Around 12:30 p.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainment Tent 1 p.m. - 4-H Dog Show - Dairy Show Arena 1p.m. - Muttville Comix 2:30 p.m. - Horse Pulls - under 3300 - Pulling Arena 3 p.m. - Adirondack Fiddlers - Sugarhouse Stage 3:30 p.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainment Tent 4 p.m. - Horsing Around 5 p.m. - Muttville Comix 5 p.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainment Tent 6 p.m. - Horse Pulls - Free-For-All - Pulling Arena 6 p.m. - 4-H Rabbit Show - Rabbit Barn 6:15 p.m. - Horsing Around 6:45 p.m. - Marshal Manlove Hypnotist - Entertainment Tent 7 p.m. - Black Cat Hell Drivers - Casella Grandstand 7 p.m. - Annie in the Water 7:30 p.m. - Muttville Comix 8 p.m. - Heart to Heart - Sugarhouse Stage 9:15 p.m. - Marshal Manlove Hypnotist - Entertainment Tent

THURSDAY - AUG. 18 8 a.m. - Gates Open 9 a.m. - 4-H Dairy Show - Dairy Show Arena 11 a.m. - Ox Pulls - 2400 and under - Pulling Arena 11 a.m. - 4-H Sheep Show - Sheep Barn Noon - Horsing Around 12:30 p.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainment Tent 1 p.m. - Tim Brick - Sugarhouse Stage 1 p.m. - Muttville Comix 1:30 p.m. - Ox Pulls - 2800 and under - Pulling Arena 3:30 p.m. - Blane Gode magic - Entertainment Tent 4 p.m. - Ox Pulls - 3200 and under - Pulling Arena 4 p.m. - Tim Brick - Sugarhouse Stage 4 p.m. - Horsing Around 5 p.m. - 4-H Costume Class - Dairy Show Arena 5 p.m. - Muttville Comix 5 p.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainement Tent 6 p.m. - Ox Pulls - Free-For-All - Pulling Arena 6:15 p.m. - Horsing Around 6:30 p.m. - 4-H Rabbit Show - Rabbit Barn 6:45 p.m. - Marshal Manlove Hypnotist - Entertainment Tent 7:30 p.m. - Night of Comedy - with Bob Nelson, Vinnie Mark & Pat DeBiere 7:30 p.m. - Muttville Comix 8 p.m. - Tim Brick - Sugarhouse Stage 8:30 p.m. - Draw the Line - Casella Grandstand 9:15 p.m. - Mashal Manlove Hypnotist - Entertainment Tent FRIDAY - AUG. 19 8 a.m. - Gates Open 9 a.m. - Open Dairy Show - Cows and Supreme - Dairy Show Arena 9 a.m. - Horse Show - Horse Arena 10 a.m. - Open Sheep Show - Sheep Barn

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Vermont state fair schedule 10:30 a.m. - Steer Show - Pulling Arena 11:30 a.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainment Tent Noon - Horsing Around 12:30 p.m. - Marshal Manlove Hypnotist - Entertainment Tent 1 p.m. - 4-H Goat Show & Open Goat Show 1 p.m. - Springer Brothers - Sugarhouse Stage 1p.m. - Muttville Comix 4 p.m. - Springer Brothers - Sugarhouse Stage 4 p.m. - Horsing Around 5 p.m. - Muttville Comix 5:30 p.m. - Bill Weeks Dairy Show - Dairy Show Arena 6:15 p.m. - Horsing Around 7 p.m. - Woodbooger Demolition Derby - Casella Grandstand 7:30 p.m. - Muttville Comix 8 p.m. - Springer Brothers - Sugarhouse Stage Vermont Burlesque Show - 2 evening shows

SATURDAY - AUG. 20 8 a.m. - Gates Open 9 a.m. - Open Dairy Show - Heifers - Dairy Show Arena

10 a.m. - Open Horse Gymkhana - Horse Arena 10:30 a.m. - Grange Talent Show - Sugarhouse Stage 11 a.m. - McDonald’s Bike Giveaway - Casella Grandstand 11:30 a.m. - Blane Gode Magic - Entertainment Tent Noon - Hill Country Cloggers - Sugarhouse Stage Noon - Horsing Around 12:30 p.m. - Marshal Manlove Hypnotist - Entertainment Tent 1 p.m. - 4-H Rabbit events 1p.m. - Muttville Comix 1 p.m. - Dole Pineapple Baking Contest - Presidents Building 3 p.m. - Hill Country Cloggers - Sugarhouse Stage 4 p.m. - Horsing Around 4:45 p.m. - 4-H Fashion Review and 4-H Awards - Sugarhouse Stage 5 p.m. - Muttville Comix 6:15 p.m. - Horsing Around 7:30 p.m. - Muttville Comix 8 p.m. - Melissa & Michael - Sugarhouse Stage 9 p.m. - Xtreme Combat MMA - Casella Grandstand Vermont Burlesque Show - 2 evening shows

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fair hours

admission Prices

2016 Fair Hours

2016 Fair Admission Prices

Tuesday 8/16: 5 p.m. to Midnight Wednesday 8/17: 8 a.m. to 11p.m.

Thursday 8/18: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday 8/19: 8 a.m. to Midnight Saturday 8/20: 8 a.m. to Midnight

2016 Carnival Hours

Tuesday 8/16: 6 p.m. to Midnght Wednesday 8/17: 11a.m. to 11 p.m.

Thursday 8/18: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday 8/19: 11 a.m. to Midnight Saturday 8/20: 11 a.m. to Midnight

Aug. 16 - 20, 2016

Adults (ages 12 and over) - $10 Children (ages 6-11) - $5 Children 5 and under are Free Senior, with Green Mountain Passport, are Free To apply for a Green Mountain Passport: Green Mountain Passports is a discount program for seniors and veterans.

The Passport allows free admission to Vermont State Parks (excluding overnight camping and other park fees), Vermont State Historic Sites, and events which are fully State sponsored.

Green Mountain Passports are available at your Town Clerk’s office.

Free Parking on the fairgrounds every day!

Seasons Passes: Adults - $40 Children - $20

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2016 Rutland State Fair - 7

fair officers •President Luey Clough - Ludlow, president@vermontstatefair.org •Vice Presidents David Fitzgerald - Pittsford Roland McNeil - West Rutland vicepresident@vermontstatefair.org •Treasurer John Maniery - Rutland treasurer@vermontstatefair.org •Secretary Christy Davis - West Rutland secretary@vermontstatefair.org •Trustees Melanie Aguiar - Castleton Richard Giddings - Pittsford Lonna Kantorski - Rutland George Kuusela - Bellows Falls Richard McKirryher - Rutland Cash Ruane - North Clarendon trustees@vermontstatefair.org

•Board of Directors Sharon Bailey Debbie Bennick Charlie Brown Don Chioffi Ed Cleveland Bob Congdon Jr. Brent Garrow Andrea Hathaway-Miglorie Charlie Hemenway Ronnie Hemenway Marsha Johnson Bob Kelley Sr. Jane Kelley Charlie Matteson Bernie McGee Louis McNeil David Murray Marguerite Ponton Robert Sharp Jr. Bob Sharp Sr. Harley Soulia

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daily entertainment This year’s entertainment includes: Amusements of America!

Carnival entertainment by Amusement of America! Amusements of America supplies spectacular rides, thrill rides, family rides, and kiddie rides!

Black Cat Hell Drivers

Draw The Line!

The Aerosmith Legacy Show! Hosted by Ray Tabano, original Aerosmith guitarist. If you love Aerosmith, this is the tribute show You Don’t Wanna Miss!

Black Cat Hell Drivers Reserved Chairs are $15 and $20 A Night of Comedy!

Green Diamond Events presents a laugh-filled evening with comedians Bob Nelson, Pat DeBiere and Vinnie Mark.

Woodbooger Demolition Derby!

Woodbooger Demolition Derby was started in 2006. Since that time, Woodbooger has grown into a family affair with many of their family and friends on board helping out.

The Great Diamond Dig Giveaway!

Win a Diamond Ring courtesty of Diamonds and More in Rutland! Presented by Green Diamond Events.

Black Cat Hell Drivers!

America’s last traveling automobile thrill show!

XTreme Combat!

Green Diamond Events presents Mixed Martial Arts XTreme Combat bouts!

Tim Brick!

Tim’s music reflects a soulful edge that isn’t afraid to get rowdy, while at the same time, is tempered by a surprising vulnerability. Raw, real and honest to the core, qualities that never go out of style!

Annie in the Water!

High energy acoustic rock, mixed with funky tones, electronic beats, hip hop flow & reggae grooves... All with tasty jams & spicy a capella on top!

Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix!

Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix is a slapstick comedy act like no other. Johnny leads over a dozen dogs through challenging and hilarious tricks as Johnny plays the straight man role in this wonderful show.

2016 Rutland State Fair - 9

daily entertainment Cracked Walnuts!

Cracked Walnuts is a nutty washboard-banjo-penny whistlefrying pan duo specializing in old time music. From the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, husband and wife team, Jeff and Jan Ausfahl, entertain with music from the Civil War era, campfire and folk songs, barbershop quartet style music, patriotic favorites, traditional jigs and reels, hits from the roaring 20’s, Western Swing and even old movie and television music.

The Butterfly Encounter!

The Butterfly Encounter is not only an interactive, walk-through exhibit, but it also provides educational demonstrations. Visitors will get to see the life cycle of a butterfly from the egg to the adult butterfly. They will also get to learn how to fix a broken wing.

The Horsing Around Show!

Equine Entertainment presented by Tracy Davis Horsemanship.

Marshal Manlove - Comedy Hypnotist & Mentalist Do you want to laugh hard like you haven’t laughed in years?

Volunteers in the show are taken on a finely-crafted journey through their mind. Audience members will see a hysterical and amazing display of the powers of the human mind in a show which people will talk about for years.

Vermont Burlesque Festival The girly show is back! It has been modernized and a lot more upscale than shows of the past. Burlesque is so many things, including fun and empowerment on stage, an escape from life’s doldrums, a fantasy, a career.

Redneck Warrior Do you have what it takes to be a Redneck Warrior? Redneck Warrior is a timed obstacle course that highlights your basic Redneck Skills. Don’t be afraid to get dirty, sticky, and messy... Redneck Warrior is the most fun you can have in cut-offs and a pair of s**t kickers! Trust us, there ain’t never been a challenge like this!

Tim Brick

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VermontÕ sÊ favoriteÊ fairÊ andÊ girlieÊ showÊ photographer

The visual art of Charles Fish

By Louis Varricchio

Author and photographer Charles Fish grew up just one mile from a fairground in Vermont, so it’s easy to see why he’s had a lifelong fascination—and passion—for the rural ways of the Green Mountain State’s fair and farm field days circuit.

“I was born in Rutland, Vt., in 1936... fairs loomed large in the imagination of a boy and in the yearly calendar of farmers and town folk alike,” Fish says of his love-affair with Vermont’s many fairs. “Local excellence was honored in the exhibits of 4-H projects, handcrafts, needlework, vegetables, baking, and canning. Horse and ox teams competed in the pulling ring, and pacers and trotters showed their stuff on the track...”

To help celebrate both the world of Vermont fairs and Fish’s outstanding photographic work about the subject, the Vermont Historical Society (VHS) showcased a 2015-16 exhibit at the Vermont History Museum titled “Blue Ribbons & Burlesque: The CountryFair Photography of Charles Fish”.

The photo exhibit is a feast for the eye; it explores the evolution of our country fairs from Addison County to Franklin County and every place in between, north, south, east and west.

Included in the VHS exhibit is a delightful trip down memory lane including images of local interest such as the Addison County Fair & Field Days and the Vermont State Fair held at the Rutland Fairgrounds.

What sparked an interest in documenting Vermont’s fairs?

“It was the biggest fair in Vermont, The Champlain Valley Exposition (in Essex Junction), and I lived just a mile or so down the road,” Fish says. “I was 9 or 10, it was the mid 1940s, and my friends and I used to sneak in and jump over the fence. We were young and spry. The guards were older and couldn’t catch us, although as an adult thinking back, I wonder how hard they wanted to try. I’d go to the fair many times before it closed each season.”

VHS’ Amanda Gustin helped organize Fish’s unusual fair exhibit.

“The black and white photographs of Charles Fish capture nature and nurture, theatrical illusion, the pursuit of excellence, and even the guilty pleasures of fair food,” she said. “This remarkable exhibit was included with the admission fee to the museum until July.”

Urbane and relaxed, Fish reminds one of actor Edward Herrmann who portrayed FDR in the 1970s PBS-TV series “Eleanor and Franklin”. For some four decades, Fish has been described as a keen observer of Vermont’s fair circuit—from the popularity of Roxie’s French Fries at the Vermont State Fair to the oxymoron of the provincial Tunbridge World’s Fair.

“They (country fairs) were rich with images and wonders at a time when entertainment was more restrained, the panorama of the wide world less brutally revealed,” Fish said. “...The boundaries of the acceptable were pushed back in the freak shows and girlie shows; striptease did not otherwise exist in rural and small town Vermont. Returning to Vermont some 35 years ago, I revisited the

fairs, camera in hand. From these forays came the approximately 200 black and white photographs (accompanied by text) that appear in my book titled ‘Blue Ribbons and Burlesque’.”

In a 2015 interview with the Windham County Common, Fish sized up the many fair and girlie images he has created over the years.

“There are informal portraits—twin babies in carriages, a man with many piercings—and then they move along to the things people do at a fair, ringing the bell with the big hammer, shopping, looking at the displays, riding the Merry-Go-Round,” he notes.

“Then there are the freak shows, the banners proclaiming a man who can drive nails into his skull, and another man who can eat broken glass. There was a lot of fakery too. I remember hearing a story about a set of Siamese twins, who were supposedly joined at the hip, who had an argument on stage and walked off separately.

Even their manager hadn’t known they were fakes.”

If you love the roar of the crowd--and the smell of the fries--at Vermont’s many rural fairs, then you’ll enjoy Fish’s photographic legacy. But if you can’t make the trip to the VHS museum in Montpelier, then at least pickup a copy of “Blue Ribbons and Burlesque” online or at a local bookshop.

Above & Right: The black and white fair-and-field days photography of Rutland-born Charles Fish was the focus of a special exhibit at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier this summer. A walk around the Midway, a clown face, Ferris wheel, horse power in Addison County, and a Champlain Valley stripper takes a break between shows.

Photos courtesy of Vermont Historical Society

2016 Rutland State Fair - 11

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NewÊ campaignÊ celebratesÊ loveÊ affairÊ withÊ Rutland

By Lou Varricchio RUTLAND — “I Love Rutland” is a new promotional campaign created by Mike Napolitano of Awesome Graphics in Rutland City.

Like the classic New York State tourism advertising campaign of years ago, “I Love Rutland” is Napolitano’s way of expressing his love while hopefully getting similar pubic results.

“Recently, I told some Burlington folks that I was from Rutland, and they gave me a double take as if I was from prison or lived in a gnarly place,” Napolitano said. “I told them that I love Rutland.

And then I thought this slogan should become a sticker.”

Napolitano said that the City of Rutland had given him and his family many opportunities.

Rutland City Mayor Chris Louras gives a big thumbs up to Napolitano’s project.

“We identify our challenges, celebrate our victories, and do this as a team, and as a community,” the mayor said.

“We think it’s really important that there be a positive message about Rutland out there,” said Green Mountain Power Vice President Steve Costello. Costello is a co-founder of the citywide love fest campaign “There are challenges and the campaign isn’t about pretending that all of those are solved.”

With a focus on the rebirth of the city and the qualities of Rutland, a group of community leaders formally kicked off “I Love Rutland,” a campaign to herald and engender love for the city and region.

“As a third-generation Rutland resident who has married, raised a family and run a small business here, I love my community and want to declare it to the world,” said Mike Napolitano, owner of Awesome Graphics, who developed the campaign with Green Mountain Power’s Steve Costello. “This is a great community, filled with people powered by determination and compassion, surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains, lakes and rivers in the world. I think we need to express that at every opportunity.”

The campaign will include a Facebook page, “I Love Rutland, Vermont,” bumper stickers, T-shirts, banners and window decals.

Local residents and businesses can post any kind of positive news on the Facebook site, but negativity will simply not exist.

The campaign will also include “The Heart of Rutland,” a regular web and Facebook feature, similar to Humans of New York, produced by Donna GoodHale, owner of Expressions by Donna.

GoodHale, a well-known local portrait photographer, will shoot portraits of everyday Rutland County residents and with her husband, Brad, write up short stories about them and what they love about Rutland.

“We love this community and jumped at the opportunity to be part of I Love Rutland,” Donna GoodHale said. “Just planning the Heart of Rutland makes me love Rutland even more.”

A website, www.iloverutlandvt.com, will feature GoodHale’s portraits along with the Facebook page, and will offer T-shirts and bumper stickers. T-shirt sales will benefit Wonderfeet Children’s Museum.

“There are plenty of places to address problems, debate politics or air concerns,” Costello said. “I Love Rutland won’t be one of them. Everyone involved in this is intimately connected to problem-solving across Rutland County, but this one effort will focus exclusively on why we love to live, work and play here.

“It will be a celebration of Rutland and the people, places, events and things people love about Rutland,” Costello said. “It will be a way to promote the positives we all enjoy, from great schools and colleges to amazing architecture, crystal-clear lakes, wildlife and the spirit of the community at large.”

Besides donations from Awesome Graphics and GMP, “I Love Rutland” is funded by several entities and individuals including Carpenter and Costin, Casella Resource Solutions, Castleton University, College of St. Joseph, Heritage Family Credit Union, Kathy Harm, Magic Brush Painting, Mark Foley Jr., Roots, and Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, to name only a few.

2016 Rutland State Fair - 13 “We both share a love for this community and frustration with the fact that Rutland residents are often the community’s harshest critics,” Napolitano said. “There is plenty of work to do to continue Rutland’s rebirth, but we believe positivity can be a big part of it.

That includes responding to inaccurate negativity when it pops up.”

At last week’s kickoff event, attended by dozens of community leaders, organizers slapped “I Love Rutland” stickers on cars, passed out T-shirts and encouraged the community to rally around itself. Castleton University President Dave Wolk, a proud Rutland native, said the campaign struck a chord with him immediately.

In one of the first “I Love Rutland” acts of love to emerge was the result of city resident Shar Wielis and friends.

During late April and early May, Wieles’s hard-working group of neighbors helped an elderly Rutland resident.

“My group did yard work, scraped and painted a garage, and did the window trim, at a house in Rutland City,” Wielis said “The 91-year-old homeowner was so grateful. We were so happy to help.”

Rutlanders are also making their marks via Project Vision, an effort which embodies the best of the “I Love Rutland” philosophy.

As part of its amazing work to improve quality of life in Rutland, volunteers from Neighborworks and other organizations are going door-to-door in pairs doing a survey of life in the Northwest neighborhood. More volunteers are needed.

With community minded residents such as Wieles and the volunteers of Project Vision (to name just a few), the “I Love Rutland” movement can only grow.

“Rutland has made enormous strides in recent years, and is making progress on virtually every measure possible, from housing and retail to community development and crime,” Castleton’s Wolk said. “As a community, we need to talk about that progress and stand up for our community. The people are what make Rutland special, and when we ignore negativity or even add to it, we’re ultimately hurting ourselves.”

“As a community we still have much to do, but it would be a terrible mistake not to celebrate the positives and the successes we are currently enjoying – simply because it is the right thing to do and to fortify ourselves for challenges still to come,” said William Notte, president of the Rutland Board of Aldermen. “I see the ‘I Love Rutland’ movement as another arrow in our quiver to show everyone, most importantly ourselves, what a wonderful place this is to live, work, and raise a family. I am delighted to celebrate its launch.”

Share the Love, Rutland If “I Love Rutland” struck a positive chord in the City of Rutland starting in the early spring of 2016, so, too, did “Share the Love”, an even earlier program spearheaded by Meals on Wheels of Rutland County.

As the Solar City celebrates its past, present and future, community leaders are also mindful of challenges, such as drug abuse, poverty and hunger, requiring direct action.

Meals on Wheels of Rutland County partipcates in the Share the Love event to help fight senior isolation and hunger, a concern not only in the Rutland region, but throughout the Green Mountain State.

“The Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging cannot do its work or fulfill its mission unless we are united in partnership with a broad coalition of community members and partners, private businesses and nationwide associations such as Subaru and Meals on Wheels America. By joining forces we boost our effectiveness and continue our mutual efforts in providing nutritious meals to home bound seniors within Rutland County. For that, we thank all who made this donation possible,” according to Sandy Conrad, executive director of Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging.

This local effort is part of Meals on Wheels America’s annual participation in Subaru’s national year-end Share the Love Event. For every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased during the active program period, Subaru donate $250 to the purchaser’s choice of participating charity, one of which being Meals on Wheels.

By the end of 2015, Subaru and its retailers donated more than $65 million to charity through the Share the Love Event. The event at the end of 2016 promises to be even more fruitful.

Local Meals on Wheels America Member programs, like Rutland County Meals on Wheels, that partner with Subaru retailers to raise awareness for the Share the Love Event can earn grants of up to $20,000. This provides an extra layer of support to help deliver nutritious meals and other important services to seniors in Rutland County.

For Rutland residents, there’s a lot to celebrate through grassroots efforts such as “I Love Vermont”. But there’s also a lot to be thankful, too, with ongoing programs such as “Share the Love, Rutland” to help our neighbors in need.

“I Love Rutland” organizers sent out a big thank you to Shar Wielis who created this picture of her hard-working group that helped a neighbor. The 91-year-old homeowner was so grateful. “ We were so happy to help.”

Photo courtesy of Shar Wielis

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GoodÊ foodÊ attractsÊ fairgoersÊ

By Lou Varricchio

Last year’s Vermont State Fair in Rutland, which wrapped up Sept. 12, marked a smaller fair than seen in recent years. But as the fair began to emerge from its recent troubled finances, last year was seen as a rebuilding year with the hope of bigger, better fairs in the years ahead. This year, 2016, looks fabulous, according to several fair officials—and an August schedule promises better weather and more attendees.

A smaller midway didn’t stand in the way of the Rutland fair’s long tradition of being a true agricultural fair. It is one of the few Vermont fairs with an impressive array of permanent pavilions and exhibits showcasing agricultural products and Vermont pride.

“We struggled to open last year,” said concession owner and baker Ann Clough of Northeast Concessions, “but with fresh management, the fair is paying its back bills as well as city fees-we’re getting caught up to come back better and stronger than ever.” Clough’s husband Luey is a vice president of the fair board.

There’s certainly no doubt that the Rutland fair will prosper.

There’s simply too much pride of place, coupled with Vermont history, to flirt with closure.

The first Vermont State Fair took place in Rutland in 1846, which makes it one of the oldest state fairs in the United States and a national treasure “Originally named the Rutland State Fair, the event started out as a one day event. The first fair took place in a field near Castleton, with Fred Button as the first president of the Rutland County Agricultural Society,” according to volunteer Ron Hemenway of the Rutland Historical Society. “The fair at its current location dates to 1856. Before that time, the land was the Rutland County Park. The fair was designated the Vermont State Fair in 1972.”

2016 Rutland State Fair - 15

Ann Clugh and her husband Luey Clough own Northeast Concessions of Mt. Holly, Vt. They employed 20 food workers at the 2015 Vermont State Fair in Rutland.

Photo by Lou Varricchio

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16 - 2016 Rutland State Fair