PORTLAND, Maine — The Northern Maine Fair was selected as the recipient of the “2022 Maine GROWS Award” which is organized and sponsored by the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs. The award was presented at the MAAF Annual Meeting held in Portland on Jan. 28 in recognition of the Northern Maine Fair’s newest exhibit.
“Lil Lumberjacks at the Fair” which opened this past summer. The exhibit offers several interactive stations to educate and engage families in the many facets that make up Maine’s $8.5 billion dollar industry.
Junia Norris, chairperson of the Maine Grows Award committee, explained the development of the award and the process selection. “In 2020 the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs introduced a challenge to Maine fairs to offer their fairgoers memories that came from fair experiences and asked fairs to collaborate with community partners in creating a special event/day/program that followed the theme for that year, which in 2022 was Maine GROWS,” stated Norris.
“The Northern Maine Fair submitted an outstanding application with documentation that clearly shared the beauty, scope and kid friendly nature of the project,” said Norris. The judges’ scores were high and the project reflected how long the planning had been happening, and how many organizations were involved. This exhibit is truly a great representation of showcasing the different products and opportunities that Maine grows. It is an honor to recognize the Northern Maine Fair for this outstanding addition to their annual fair.”
In accepting the award, Shawn Bugbee, chairperson of the Lil’ Lumberjacks committee, said, “We are extremely pleased to be selected as this year’s recipient of the Maine GROWS Award. This new exhibit had been in the planning and development stages for a few years and it was a true community project that involved the help and assistance of numerous individuals and businesses donating their time, talents, and sponsorship dollars. We couldn’t have done it without the help of our community partners.”
