Where is the ledyard fair

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Please support our work by subscribing today. Published September Ledyard — The members and volunteers of the Ledyard Fair Association have been working since last fall to put on this year's fair, opening Friday evening, but closing ceremonies on Sunday will be particularly bittersweet this year.

This is the last year the fair will be held in its current location, adjacent to Ledyard Center School on a property Kent noted many residents are more likely to call the fairgrounds than the town green. The school closed in June as part of the town's educational redistricting project, and the sale of the property to a developer was approved at a town meeting in May. The final vote was , with most opponents speaking at the public hearing on behalf of the fair due to the impact the sale would have on it.

The new owner allowed the fair to continue operations for this year; while most of the fair takes place on property that is still town-owned, some of the school property is used for parking and storage for vendors and competitors, as well as the softball tournament and tractor pull. It's our family and it's a part of us," Kent said, adding that her kids and many children of other association members still actively are involved in volunteering.

We don't want to lose the fair. The association is working with the town as well as area property owners to discuss options for hosting the event next year, though Kent noted that relocating the three-day event isn't as easy as it sounds. If they find a suitable property — she said they would need acres — they would have to rebuild all the infrastructure, from the electricity to the barns and buildings used throughout the fair. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but she said the hope is to have some options and answers ironed out by the end of the fall, though many of the vendors and entertainment acts book a year in advance and committees are often working on next year before the fair even closes.

In addition to the traditional agricultural shows and competitions, the rides and games, this year's fair will include Friday and Saturday shows by Real Shoot Wrestling, a West Virginia-based company that serves as a farm league of sorts for major wrestling leagues. Kent said she's seen a few shows, and the company has a lot of high-quality wrestlers who put on an exciting, action-packed show. The fair also will be continuing the Queen of Hearts program as part of the Miss Ledyard Fair pageant, which the association started with last year's fair.

Independent of the scoring, all participants in the pageant collect donations of nonperishable food and personal hygiene products to donate to the food pantry, which doesn't see as many donations during the summer months. Last year, contestants collected nearly 3, items, and Kent said many contestants this year asked about the donation component before they asked about registering for the pageant itself.

She said the fair is like hosting a big family reunion at her house. By , the village included a: Blacksmith Cabinetmaker Carpenter Cobbler Printer Tavern Wheelwright A post office had opened in a local store immediately after the incorporation, and operated from several locations until it was discontinued in From then until the s, mail to Ledyard Center was delivered from Norwich.

Passenger steamers on the river met trains there, and a post office was established. Extension of the Norwich and Worcester to Groton in brought regular transportation to Gales Ferry, 15 trains a day, although the popularity of the automobile resulted in closure of the passenger station by Today the Providence and Worcester Railroad operates freight service on these tracks.

Intercollegiate Athletic Events Gales Ferry has long been home to the oldest intercollegiate athletic event in the nation. In , Harvard and Yale Universities brought their established 4-mile rowing competition to the Thames, both crews boarding at local farms. The inaugural race drew 25, spectators.