Editors’ Choice
Topsfield Fair, Topsfield
Standout Qualities: This fall festival has been bringing corpulent pumpkins, show pigs, and floppy-eared bunnies to tiny Topsfield since 1818. It’s a full-on celebration of the agricultural roots of Essex County.
Insider Tip: From weddings to corporate events, you can rent the fairgrounds. Also, the Mrs. Essex County Pageant will be held on the second Sunday of the fair. The contestants will demonstrate their cooking abilities by entering a food dish for judging, have private interviews, and present themselves at the pageant on Sunday. This is not a beauty contest but an opportunity for “the women of today” to talk about themselves, their interest in the fair, and their daily activities. The winner will be the official hostess for the upcoming Topsfield Fair.
Fun Fact: The Honorable Timothy Pickering, a 1763 Harvard graduate and Revolutionary War hero with a renowned political background, was elected as the first president of the Essex Agricultural Society.
207 Boston St., Topsfield, 978-887-5000, topsfieldfair.org
Readers’ Choice
Topsfield Fair, Topsfield