The poster for the 50th Common Ground County Fair in Unity this fall features a working border collie dog surrounded by flowers and a throwback font, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association said Tuesday.
Sebago artist Brenda McGuinness created the winning design in the organization’s annual poster competition, inspired by the popular sheep dog demonstrations at the fair each year. In these events, trained dogs demonstrate their ability to follow commands to move sheep around a pen.
“I am just mesmerized by the magic that goes on between the farmer and their trusted friend,” McGuinness said.
Artwork by Maine artists highlighting different elements of the fair, which aims to celebrate rural life and organic farming with an educational focus, have advertised the fair for decades. This year’s poster is the first to feature the sheep dogs, and will advertise the popular event as it marks half a century in Maine. In recent years, it’s seen close to 70,000 visitors over three days of talks and demonstrations.
“The Common Ground Country Fair is really about sharing information and knowledge and empowering people [on] how to make these changes in their everyday life,” Sarah Alexander, the organization’s executive director, said Tuesday. “So, the selection of the poster each year always highlights a different educational aspect of the fair and then we can talk about that all year round.”
The sheepdog trials and demonstrations are among the most beloved parts of the fair, according to Alexander. In recent years, they were led by Tim and Lisa Molinero of Heart Stone Farm in Milton, N.H., who also tied the event to the history of the dog breed, the role of sheep in civilization’s development, and their personal history with the tradition of keeping sheep on Maine islands.
“Our 50th Common Ground Country Fair is going to be celebrating our past, and also continuing to rally our community members to build common ground,” fair director April Boucher said before unveiling the poster Tuesday at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta.
The 2026 fair will be held Sept. 25, 26, and 27 at the organization’s headquarters in Unity.
