the 39th annual Stratham Fair offered pigs, licks and kids 

A loud protest fills the air in the barn. Several quiet sheep, white as snow, some with chocolate-colored patches, look up curiously as people look in at them. Despite the placid sight, the protest becomes louder.
“BAAA, BAAAAA!” fills the barn. The source is Punchbrook, an unhappy sheep. He stands upright in his stall, throwing his head over the side as if to be sure his distress signal reached as many people as possible. Passersby just smile.

Outside, among the tents and stables, adults help children prepare their animals for showing. Sheep, goats and more stand on platforms as they are washed, brushed, trimmed and groomed. “Get all the water out first,” instructs a father as his daughter begins brushing her lamb before drying it. Her jeans and T-shirt are soaked through with water, and her heavy, black galoshes are covered in mud.

A crowd is beginning to gather to watch a horse pull. Teams of two horses, each weighing a total of 3,200 pounds, line up along the wooden fence, as the faces of their owners glisten in the sun. The beauty of these golden and brown horses matches their brawn. The announcer informs the crowd that pulling contests don’t hurt the horses—in fact, “They love it!” People filter in and take refuge from the sun. Though the bleachers are still damp from a rainstorm the night before, the allure of cool, shady air is too much to resist. The horses’ muscles ripple and bulge as they strain to drag the stone blocks on a sled through the dirt. Their hoofs dig deep as the animals muster all they have. The owners take time to stroke their animals after their turn. The final weight pulled: an impressive 8,600 pounds.

The horse pull is one of the original events of the first Stratham Fair, along with the chicken barbeque and lobster bake, that still continue today. Away from the arena, the scent of cooked lobsters and sweet butter weaves through the air. Under a large tent sit rows of picnic tables covered in red-and-white checkered tablecloths. People line up to collect their butter, chips, corn and lobsters. “I’ve certainly been waiting for this!” an elderly woman, shaded by a wide brimmed sun hat, says to her husband with a smile.

The fair also stays true to its roots with “Old Tyme Games,” such as a pie eating contest, Simon Says, sack races and more.

“Look, it’s babies! Look at them, mama! Look!” A small wide-eyed girl, dressed in a pink sundress and matching rubber clogs stands on her tip toes to get a better look as she calls for her mom. Mom looks through the wire fence. “Ha, just one kid is enough for me,” is her reply. Below her is a massive brown and pink pig, nursing more than 10 piglets. They scramble on top of one another, trying to squeeze in for a few seconds of food. The sea of round pink bodies fights, wriggles under and steps on one another other until the mother decides enough is enough. She rolls over, half on her stomach, in an attempt to get up.

“She’s crushing them!” shrieks the girl. Her mother just laughs. The piglets squeal in protest, but the sow hardly bats an eye.

Cookies, tomatoes, sweaters, dresses, potholders and more line the rows of the 4-H barn. Ribbons of all colors are tacked to creations that include snowmen, turtle pin cushions, specialty breads and Christmas tree skirts. Blue ribbons are shared by bright red tomatoes, a loaf of zucchini bread and a plate of peanut butter cookies.
“Whatcha got there?” A passerby looks curiously at the crafting hands of a woman at a long table. “Water bottle covers,” she says firmly.

“Daddy! I have to tell daddy! Daddy!” a little boy looks frantically around for his father. The source of his excitement is a 4-H display of eggs under a heat lamp. A small crack decorates the center of one, and a tiny body struggles to get out. “You can see his little beak moving!” the boy says, as he makes a beak movement with his hand, opening and closing his fingers.

From the direction of the amusement rides, a faint sound of cheery music drifts through the fairgrounds, mixed with screams of children and adults. Popcorn, fried dough, ice cream and more are being sold. A pirate ship swings people high into the sky, and the Ferris wheel dares people to keep their snacks down.

The heat beats down harder as the afternoon progresses, and many visitors are seen licking a dripping ice cream cone or slurping a cold drink. Faces bear red cheeks but also smiles as feet, big and small, shuffle along the paths and through the dirt, mud and hay.