Community Corner

Great Weekend at 12th Annual North Branford Potato & Corn Festival


By Steve Kanaras

This weekend marked the twelfth year of the North Branford Potato & Corn Festival and the event keeps growing and growing. With estimates of more than 25,000 attendees, even some soggy weather could not dampen the spirits of festival goers, or their appetites for delicious fair food.

With an auspicious beginning 12 years ago, as a three-hour gathering of neighbors celebrating the agriculture of the town on the baseball field, the festival now covers a huge area of Totoket Valley Park and Augur Farm. This year, an extra day of activity was added making the event a four-day affair filled with food, music, amusement rides and much more. 

Find out what's happening in North Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We had a vision, based on other fairs and events, with the fireworks on the hill and other things, what we envisioned happened," said Pam Gery, recreation director of North Branford, adding, "I am not sure in my wildest imagination, even in these 12 years that it would become this big."

Though the festival sports a budget of more than $100,000, it never fails to cover its expenses, according to Gery. The festival collects money from vendor fees, sponsors, parking and sales of potatoes and corn and select other food items. The event is only made possible by the dedication and hard work of more than 150 volunteers.

Find out what's happening in North Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"People sweating for four days, they are getting nothing but laughs and friendship just to have this event. Working in a parking lot all weekend long. They are out there directing traffic in the sun or rain. I don't know how we could do this without them," she praised.

Sunday's bright and sunny weather proved a huge boon to a new feature of the festival, a motorcycle show. Organizers expected some 20 or so show cycles, and found they'd exceeded that quota by the time the show opened on Sunday. When all was said and done, 79 motorcycle enthusiasts brought their rides to display, and generally chat with other like-minded collectors. 

The prize for top American motorcycle went to a fully restored 1947 Indian Motorcycle. In the foreign category, Steve Kenney took top honors with a 1970 BSA. And the custom category prize went to a Harley Davidson painted with a Marine Corps theme. 

The unofficial prize for the festival's most exotic visitor most certainly went to Mickey, a seven-year-old blue and gold macaw, brought to the event by his owner Larry. Rescued from an abusive owner, Larry said he brought Mickey to the festival to re-acclimate him to people and overcome his fears of people. 

"I am hoping with all the people, he will get more comfortable, and hopefully let people pet him again," Larry said.

Judging from the smiles of a young fair-goer whose hand Mickey quickly perched upon, the tropical bird's recovery should prove a quick and cheerful one.

In keeping with the namesake of the festival, several starchy vegetable contests were held in the food tent. Corn shucking for children and adults was a popular competition where participants were given 30 seconds to clean an ear of corn as best they could.

The mashed potato competition saw a dozen would-be chefs hurriedly crushing tubers with their potato mashers and adding spices, sour cream and other condiments in hopes of concocting the perfect dish in less than five minutes. With a healthy wind blowing around bowls and spices, the competition took on added dangers, but yielded delicious results.

No New England fair is complete without a cornucopia of fair food, from the fried dough being sold by the volunteer fire department to the ever-popular funnel cakes and cotton candy. With so many sights, sounds and delicious smells wafting throughout the fairgrounds, there was no doubt the thousands of visitors arrived, stayed and left in good spirits.

When asked what her favorite fair food, Gery replied, "the potatoes and corn, of course, but I do love the kettle corn."

After another successful festival, with all the planning that goes into it, next year's event is already being thought about. But not before a well-deserved break. 

"I like to give myself a good week of vacation, then we'll start on next year," Gery said. 

Patch was there Saturday and Sunday with partner Benjamin Moore handing out Patch freebies and mingling with neighbors. Patch has partnered with Benjamin Moore to promote their program Main Street Matters. We both share a commitment to connecting our communities and helping them prosper.

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