If the Cornish Fair takes place this year, livestock exhibitors and fairgoers will likely have a new barn to visit.
The Cornish Fair Association is in the homestretch of a $200,000 fundraising campaign to build a new livestock barn, upgrade four existing sheds and update the electrical infrastructure so that people who camp on the fairgrounds can plug in their campers instead of relying on often-noisy generators.
The nonprofit organization started raising funds last April and is about $40,000 from its goal, said Meriden resident Steve Taylor, one of the fair’s directors.
“The existing buildings, some of them trace back more than a half-century,” said Taylor, a former commissioner of agriculture for the state of New Hampshire. “They’ve been showing their wear.”
A building that is approximately 24 feet by 100 feet would be demolished to build the new barn, which would be 96 feet by 54 feet, Taylor said. The larger space is needed because the fair has had to rely on renting tents to house animals that cannot fit in the livestock buildings.
In 2019, about 250 dairy animals, 70 sheep and 40 heads of beef were at the fair, Taylor said. Additionally, some kids bring chickens and rabbits to show. The new barn would be able to house around 120 animals and the rest would be able to fit in the four other sheds.
“I think it’ll be a thrill for the 4-H families that always end up in the tent area, which can get a little soggy when it rains during the fair,” said Robin Luther, who is the Sullivan County 4-H program manager for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. “A barn will be such a nice refreshing change for them and make them feel more comfortable.”
A total of 50 children ages 8-18 were in the 4-H dairy show at the fair in 2019 and more than 130 4-H kids participated in an exhibit, Luther said. Cornish has the largest number of cows and calves brought in for exhibition for any fair in New Hampshire and ranks near top in northern New England, Taylor said.
“I think it’ll be a wonderful place for people to get to know the families and the cows,” Luther said.
The current plan is to take the old shed down in March, break ground on the new structure in April once the ground thaws and build from May through July. The fair association is currently planning the 2021 fair for the third week in August and will hold it as long as it is deemed safe to do so. The 2020 fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All the activities of the fair revolve around these animals,” Taylor said. “There’s nothing to match seeing agriculture, even if you only walk by and see the cows. That’s what people expect when they go to a fair.”
When the barn isn’t being used to house livestock, it will be available for other community uses such as graduation ceremonies and family reunions.
“We’re trying to design and build it so it will have multiple uses when we’re not having a fair,” Taylor said. “Tents are lovely, but they’re terribly expensive and having a good-sized pavilion I think will be a real benefit to the community and the area.”
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
