A diesel engine rumbles from the tractor pull in the grandstands, a wonderfully decadent aroma of deep-fat frying floats through the air, and kids scream with delight from colorful rides on the midway. In the cattle barn, a couple of teens expertly coax a reluctant bull into a narrow cage and force a pill down his throat.

It’s opening day at the Skowhegan State Fair in Maine, billed as the oldest continuously running agricultural fair in America and an annual celebration of farming since 1818.

The fair’s rich tradition is evident everywhere from beribboned jars of corn relish to exotic caged poultry.

But the State Fair in Skowhegan, Maine, hasn’t lasted 193 years by standing on tradition. The 11-day event is geared to cell phone-toting inhabitants of the 21st century. Fun and funnel cakes are part of the experience that includes exhibits focusing on the latest farm technology and the finest livestock, produce and handicrafts.

For kids and thrill seekers, the action is at the midway, a tradition that began with the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the first to feature a dedicated area for rides, games and sideshows. It’s where the Ferris wheel was born and the term “midway” was coined.

Skowhegan offers new rides every year. Although mainstays like the Zipper and the Tilt-a-Whirl still take patrons for a crazy spin, fair goers are always after a new thrill. This year’s star is the Vertigo. It hoists riders 92 feet above the fairgrounds for a heart-stopping version of a playground swing. After dark, the ride’s tower beckons with dancing red and yellow lights as the colorful midway turns magical.

In the exhibition hall, digital photography now joins intricately stitched quilts and handmade wooden toys. And even the quilts have evolved. No longer recycled patchworks of worn-out linens and last year’s Easter dress, today they incorporate modern fabrics and design. The winner of this year’s Best in Show ribbon boasts a fresh pallet of carefully coordinated blues, maroons and greens.

The voices of bleating sheep and crowing roosters mingle with rock and roll blasting from the midway. Agriculture is still the core of Skowhegan Fair, and livestock competitions draw thousands of farmers eager to do business.

Kim Mackay, owner of C&K Angus Farm in Fairfield Center, brought the best seven specimens from her herd of 50 purebred cattle. By strategically entering them in various events, she expects to earn $400 to $800 in premiums, enough to cover her expenses for Skowhegan and possibly the next fair. She makes an annual circuit of six to ten fairs, and the whole family pitches in, including her grandchildren, who represent the fifth generation to show at Skowhegan.

It’s a lot of work just to break even, but the big payoff isn’t the prize money. It’s meeting farmers in the market for breeding stock. A top-quality bull can bring several thousand dollars. While her grandchildren groom and feed the stock, Mackay chats with visitors and hands out business cards.

“Eighty-five percent of my customer database is people I’ve met at fairs,” she said.

For centuries the world over, people like Mackay have counted on fairs to buy and sell and stay in touch with their communities. Food vendors and entertainers found ripe markets in the captive audiences at these annual gatherings, developing the festive atmosphere that drew customers from town and country.

Today, more than 3,000 agricultural fairs attract millions of visitors in America each year from July to October. The events remain relevant by blending traditions people love with new entertainment and business opportunities that keep them coming back.

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