Common Ground fair 2022 (Bath: how much, homes, shops)

[Submariner]

After two years of there not being a Common Ground fair, we did it this year.

We averaged 20,000+ fair goers each day.

We were a little low on venders and on presenters, but the thought is that after skipping two years we had to expect some of the long time venders to have moved on.

I have always liked the hour-long workshops on a wide variety of homestead topics. Traditionally we have had 750+ of them, but this year there were only around 600 workshops.

I am now coordinating the Outdoor Country Kitchen Demos. We had a cooperative Extension service professional demonstrating Hot-Water-Bath canning, and a personal chef who specializes in cooking for delicate stomachs.

The Food Judging that has traditionally been done inside the Exhibition Hall, was moved to my outdoor kitchen. We had sufficient seating to accommodate 60 people, and the sound system worked perfectly. As the judges were setting up, I volunteered to serve as their tabulator.

I had fun doing that. It awakened a desire for pickled squash.

Thursday evening I plan to attend a 'wrap-up' dinner where 120 Area Coordinators will compare notes and discuss what changes worked and what changes did not work.

Did anyone else from City-Data attend? If so, what were your thoughts?

[AustinB]

I have talked to 3 people who went. They all just loved the fair for no particular reason. It was a good time for them.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by AustinB

I have talked to 3 people who went. They all just loved the fair for no particular reason. It was a good time for them.

We went. I did not love it. The animals and exhibitors were all great. No complaints there. But there just too many people. The walkways between tents were literally shoulder-to-shoulder hordes at times. Lines to the food vendors were 90+ people deep. If you wanted to sample any of the food, it meant standing in line for close to an hour. Maybe more.

I know such crowds don't bother most people. They bother me. I was miserable. This is just not my idea of a good time:



If we go again next year, we will time it better to avoid the horde.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

We went. I did not love it. The animals and exhibitors were all great. No complaints there. But there just too many people. The walkways between tents were literally shoulder-to-shoulder hordes at times. Lines to the food vendors were 90+ people deep. If you wanted to sample any of the food, it meant standing in line for close to an hour. Maybe more.

I know such crowds don't bother most people. They bother me. I was miserable. This is just not my idea of a good time:

If we go again next year, we will time it better to avoid the horde.

I have sat in many meetings where we had maps of the fairgrounds, and where we discussed methods of reducing the length of the food vendor lines.

The pathways around the food vendor area were 10 foot wider this year.

But it seems the horde just expands to fill whatever space we give them.

This year, I just happened to be standing at the wrong spot, when I was drawn into a conversation where a food vendor had just ran out of potatoes. Apparently, he had only sourced five tons and he ran out. The potato shortage soon turned into a domino effect. The fair staff would only allow re-supply trucks to enter fair grounds afterhours.

[Submariner]

The wrap-up dinner went well.

We fielded a few complaints about the crowds around the food vendors. We get those complaints after every fair. We are not sure what we can do to lessen the crowding in that area.

I suspect after two years of plandemic, people were excited to see the fair happen again, which explains why huge crowds showed up.

I heard one complaint about 'dark energy', though my energy perception is not as highly tuned as it may be for others. So I am not aware of how to address the issue of 'dark energy'.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Submariner

I have sat in many meetings where we had maps of the fairgrounds, and where we discussed methods of reducing the length of the food vendor lines.

The pathways around the food vendor area were 10 foot wider this year.

But it seems the horde just expands to fill whatever space we give them.

This year, I just happened to be standing at the wrong spot, when I was drawn into a conversation where a food vendor had just ran out of potatoes. Apparently, he had only sourced five tons and he ran out. The potato shortage soon turned into a domino effect. The fair staff would only allow re-supply trucks to enter fair grounds afterhours.

Interesting. Thanks for the behind the scenes info.

I should have added: I am more than a little claustrophobic, and nothing sends me into a panic attack quicker than being stuck in a crowd. What other people might find loads of fun (night clubs, concerts, packed fairs) are torture to me. I recognize I am the anomaly.

I'd definitely like to try again next year, but I am going to time my arrival better to hopefully avoid the worst of the crowds. We went in the middle of the day on a Saturday, which in hindsight was a colossally stupid decision on my part.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Submariner

I heard one complaint about 'dark energy', though my energy perception is not as highly tuned as it may be for others. So I am not aware of how to address the issue of 'dark energy'.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

Interesting. Thanks for the behind the scenes info.

I should have added: I am more than a little claustrophobic, and nothing sends me into a panic attack quicker than being stuck in a crowd. What other people might find loads of fun (night clubs, concerts, packed fairs) are torture to me. I recognize I am the anomaly.

I'd definitely like to try again next year, but I am going to time my arrival better to hopefully avoid the worst of the crowds. We went in the middle of the day on a Saturday, which in hindsight was a colossally stupid decision on my part.

Some newer cars' electronic systems sensed there was a traffic jam, so those automobile GPS systems tried to re-route those cars down a dirt road to a cow pasture. But that cow pasture was not setup to be a parking lot, nor is there an approved path for people to walk from that pasture to the fair. As a result the office staff got many phone calls from motorists, some were stuck in traffic wanting to know how much longer they must wait in traffic, and others who were in a cow pasture wondering how to get to the fair.

Some of our staff are now trying to discuss with Google to convince them to STOP re-routing traffic. During the fair there are plenty of sheriff deputies on-site directing traffic, and they generally have a good idea of how to perform their jobs.

Personally, I have found that if I arrive by 7am the traffic is minimal.

[svband76]

What is the appeal of the Common Ground Fair? What makes it different from any other fair? Sorry. A newbie Mainer from away here... thanks.

[OtisGazz]

If huge crowds might be the norm now, is it possible/feasible to run the fair two weekends, and the entire week between them, to spread the crowd out?

Locals can go mid-week and crowd-haters (like me, too) can go on a drizzly day when the crowds stay home. ;-)