ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire County's only agricultural fair is a high point of summer as local farmers display their livestock and produce; crafts and canned and baked goods fill the exhibit hall; and the sounds of music and crashing cars fill Bowe Field.
But not this year.
The 46th annual Adams Agricultural Fair has been canceled for the first time in its history.
The fair's board of directors announced Wednesday that because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to call off this year's fair.
"It was an extremely difficult decision to cancel the fair," board member Elizabeth Randall said. "We finally decided the health of everyone was more important in light of the pandemic."
She said much of the fair was already planned because they typically start organizing the next year's fair two weeks after the last one ends. But as the pandemic ramped up, the directors were forced to make a decision -- which they did last week.
And this is a first for the fair.
"The fair has never been canceled. The first year on Bowe Field, we had a cloudburst, thunderstorm," Randall said. "Everyone was holding onto tent posts so the tent would not blow away. Members had equipment out pulling vendors out of small ponds. The next day the sun came out and the fair went on. They joke it always rains for the Aggie Fair! We always go on."
Randall said she thinks the fair will be missed especially this year after a tough few months
"I think the fair will be missed. It is family-oriented with something for everyone," she said. "Many bring chairs and watch the ox or horse pulls for the entire day."
She noted that the lack of a fair is a hit to local farmers and others who showcase their livestock, produce, and crafts. She urged folks to continue to support the agricultural community in any way possible.
"Everyone should support the local farmers by attending farmers market, perhaps ordering ahead and picking up orders or buying the delicious cheeses and fresh milk that is available," she said. "Buy home-raised eggs when possible and enjoy the orange yolks and freshness."
She said once the pandemic dies down, the utilization of Bowe Field is also a good way to support the fair.
"Bowe Field has become a place to hold events in the past years," she said. "It has a large pavilion, bathrooms, plenty of parking, and easy access. No other comparable venue in our area.
Randall said fundraising was well underway, the demolition derby was scheduled, and they were working on some new events. Although it is difficult to cancel the last agricultural fair in the county, organizers say they will be back next year better than ever.
"The fair will be missed this year but will come back," she said. "Great volunteers make it all possible with donating their time and local support."
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A Rare Bird: Koperniak Stands Out in Triple-A
By Frank MurtaughThe Memphis (Tenn.) Flyer
With Major League Baseball’s September roster expansion just around the corner, Berkshire County baseball fans will be watching to see whether 2016 Hoosac Valley High School graduate Matt Koperniak gets the call from the St. Louis Cardinals. Heading into Tuesday night’s action, Koperniak had 125 hits this summer for the Cards’ Triple A affiliate, the Memphis (Tenn.) Redbirds. He is hitting .309 this season with 17 home runs. In his minor league career, he has a .297 batting average with 56 homers after being signed as a free agent by St. Louis out of Trinity College in 2020. This week, sportswriter Frank Murtaugh of the Memphis Flyer profiled Koperniak for that publication. Murtaugh’s story appears here with the Flyer’s permission.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- I’ve interviewed professional baseball players for more than two decades. There are talented players who, honestly, aren’t that interesting away from the diamond. They’re good ballplayers, and baseball is what they know. There are also very interesting baseball players who aren’t all that talented. Now and then, though, you find yourself in the home team’s dugout at AutoZone Park with a very good baseball player who has a very interesting story to share. Like the Memphis Redbirds’ top hitter this season, outfielder Matt Koperniak.
That story? It began on Feb. 8, 1998, when Koperniak was born in London. (Koperniak played for Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.) “My dad was in the military,” explains Koperniak. “He was in Italy for a bit, then England. But I have no memories of that time.” Matt and his family moved back to the States — to Adams, Mass. — before his third birthday.
Koperniak played collegiately at Division III Trinity College in Connecticut, part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. He hit .394 as a junior in 2019, but beating up on the likes of Tufts and Wesleyan doesn’t typically catch the eye of major-league scouts. When the coronavirus pandemic wiped out his senior season, Koperniak received an extra year of eligibility but, having graduated with a degree in biology, he chose to sign as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals.
“I’ve always loved baseball,” says Koperniak, “and it’s helped me get places, including a good school. My advisor — agent now — was able to get me into pro ball, so here we are.” He played in a few showcases as well as for the North Adams SteepleCats in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, enough to convince a Cardinal scout he was worth that free agent offer.
The Redbirds hosted Memphis Red Sox Night on Aug. 10, the home team taking the field in commemorative uniforms honoring the Bluff City’s Negro Leagues team of the 1930s and ’40s. Luken Baker (the franchise’s all-time home run leader) and Jordan Walker (the team’s top-ranked prospect) each slammed home runs in a Memphis win over Gwinnett, but by the final out it had become Matt Koperniak Night at AutoZone Park. He drilled a home run, a triple, and a single, falling merely a double shy of hitting for the cycle. It was perfectly Koperniak: Outstanding baseball blended into others’ eye-catching heroics.
“It’s trying to do the little things right,” he emphasizes, “and being a competitor. The Cardinals do a great job of getting us to play well-rounded baseball. Everybody has the same mindset: How can I help win the next game? You gotta stay in attack mode to be productive.”
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