At the 140th fair in Acton, Maine farmers congregate in the spirit of both co-operation and rivalry. Families show off their finest handicrafts, agricultural produce and livestock. Teamsters compete to see whose animal is the strongest and whose daughter the most beautiful. Through the voices of farmers and townspeople, vendors and carnival workers, a portrait of a community joining together in celebration of the honest, hard-working agricultural traditions of the region is revealed. Fathers and sons, knowledge of land and beast, carnival workers and strange stories, country girls, ox-pulling, dairy showing, beauty pageants, a pig scramble and more! This feature-length ethnographic documentary quietly reveals the agricultural heritage of the region and opens our eyes to a wholesome side of American culture - as people of the earth.
American Fair was produced by Rick Widmer.
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[American Fair originally aired on MPBN Community Films September 25, 2010.]