UNITY — The 49th annual Common Ground Country Fair, hosted by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, will be held on Sept. 19, 20 and 21 in Unity. The event schedule is now live on MOFGA’s website and advance tickets are on sale.
MOFGA’s annual celebration of rural living offers something for everyone. MOFGA is excited to host over 700 scheduled events including 603 educational opportunities, 76 local music events, and 48 family-friendly activities over the three days of the fair. Fairgoers will also be able to peruse over 570 exhibitors and vendors offering hand-made goods and tools for sustainable living. This includes food vendors serving dishes made with organic and local ingredients — many of which are repeat vendors that fairgoers know and love..
Additional highlights include:
- An exciting lineup of keynote speakers: Anthony Sutton, assistant professor of Native American Programs and Food Systems at the University of Maine – Orono; Adam Alexander aka The Seed Detective, an author, grower, and storyteller; Jim Hightower, a national radio commentator, author, and twice-elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner; and Rhiannon Hampson, organic farmer and policymaker.
- Live music from The Pete Kilpatrick Band, Kouchera, Gawler Family Band, Sara Trunzo, and Louisa Stancioff.
- Children’s activities including the garden parade, hay jump, making corn husk dolls, shaking cream into butter, and more.
- Two farmers’ markets featuring organic foods from around Maine, plus local organic fair food offerings!
- This year’s iconic artwork, “Belgian Draft Horses” by Katherine Noble Churchill, featured on posters, T-shirts, bags, and more to commemorate the event.
“We’re just two months out from our largest annual event,” says April Boucher, the fair’s director. “The fair offers something for everyone, from educational talks to music to Maine-grown organic food. This year’s fair is shaping up to be another extraordinary event to celebrate sustainable living and organic growing.”
MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, which doubles as the fairgrounds, includes a sustainably managed woodlot, the Maine Heritage Orchard, and organic demonstration gardens. This landscape provides an ideal backdrop for demonstrations on low-impact forestry, organic farming and gardening, livestock management, and other aspects of rural living to take place during the three days of the fair.
Advance tickets for the event will be on sale through Sept. 1 at MOFGA’s website (mofga.org/the-fair). Fairgoers will receive their tickets via email, and can download them to a smartphone or print them out to be scanned at the gate. Starting on Sept. 18, tickets are full price through the event.
Advance pricing, available through Sept. 17, is as follows: $20 for adults (18-64); $15 for elders (65+); $15 for youth (13-17); free for children (12 and under); and free for persons with disabilities and one attending person. School groups are free on Friday, Sept. 19. Volunteers receive free admission for the day of their four-hour volunteer shift, plus an iconic organic Common Ground Country Fair T-shirt and other benefits. MOFGA members receive complimentary Fair tickets based on membership level. For information and tips about attending the fair, visit mofga.org.
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, formed in 1971, is the oldest and largest state organic organization in the country. MOFGA’s vision is a future where local organic farming nourishes all people, and sustains thriving ecosystems, healthy communities, and fair economies. We accomplish this through our mission to transform our food system by supporting farmers, empowering people to feed their communities, and advocating for an organic future. Learn more at mofga.org.
