In the hilltowns east of Pittsfield, Cummington has held an annual agricultural fair since 1869. Late in August you can come up for antique tractors and live music, ox shows and draft horses, crafts and exhibits and entertainment. And the fairgrounds are still active today. At other times of year you may find horse and ox draws, 4-H competitions, tractor rides and more.
In May, around Memorial Day weekend, the annual Massachusetts Sheep and Woolcraft Fair returns with sheep show and sheepdog demonstrations, drop-in spinning and weaving, horse-drawn wagon rides, workshops and demonstrations on spinning, knitting, weaving and celebrations of all things fleecy.
As the fair has grown, they have added more areas associated with sheep — vendors, sheep and fleece auctions, leadline and other fiber animals. “As time has gone by, the lamb bits have become a signature food item,” the organizers say, “… the fiber workshops are full of variety and people, and the fair is still run largely on a volunteer basis.”
