SALEM – September Salem Days is back with a new attraction to visit. For the first time, through the generosity of the Norman H. Read Charitable Trust, all Salem residents will be able to gain admission tickets to the Topsfield Fair for free at the Jean A. Levesque Community Life Center. The tickets being offered will be valid for the entire fair which runs from Friday, September 29th through October 9th. Since the inception of September Salem Days in 2009, the Read Trust has funded free admission for thousands of Salem residents to the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium. This year residents will have the opportunity to visit the Topsfield Fair.
Mayor Dominick Pangallo commented, “I would like to thank the Read Charitable Trust for continuing September Salem Days into October this year so our residents can enjoy the fair. The Topsfield Fair is a great way to learn about agriculture in Essex County. The Norman H. Read Charitable Trust funds many programs in our schools, but September Salem Days is a gift to all Salem residents.”
Topsfield General Manager, James O’Brien stated, “Salem is fortunate to have the Norman H. Read Charitable Trust make attending the fair available for free to all Salem residents. The Essex Agricultural Society, which is the governing body of the fair, was formed in 1818 and its first president was Salem’s famous resident Colonel Timothy Pickering. Before finding its permanent home in Topsfield in 1910 the fair moved throughout Essex County and was held in Salem in 1849 – 1851, and 1883 & 1884. The Topsfield Fair is the longest running fair in America and is filled with great learning experiences about the importance of agriculture.”
Lars Albright, trustee of the Norman H. Read Charitable Trust, said, “As Salem has many direct links to the Topsfield Fair, it is a perfect fit to provide Salem residents with admission tickets to the fair to learn about agricultural science and have some family fun time.
The Topsfield Fair will open on Friday, September 29th and runs through October 9th. Monday, October 2nd is Sensory Day at the fairgrounds that will provide a more sensory sensitive experience to families with members of autism or other sensory processing disorders. The Fair offers many daily program choices along with exhibits and demonstrations in the flower, poultry, fruits and vegetables and beekeeping buildings along with free evening concerts, including Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, the Drifters and the Platters on Wednesday evening October 4th; Starship featuring Mickey Thomas with special guest Foghat on Thursday evening October 5th; and Clay Walker on Friday evening October 6th. Please visit www.topsfieldfair.org for hours of the fair, daily programming, and further information.
In order to participate in this program, residents MUST pick up their tickets at the Jean A. Levesque Community Life Center at 401 Bridge Street before going to the fair. You will not be able to gain admission to the fair without having your tickets in hand. Please be aware of this important difference with previous September Salem Days’s programs.
The Community Life Center is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00am to 7:00pm and is open on Wednesday and Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Tickets will be available for pickup beginning on Thursday, September 14th.You will need to bring proof of residency to the Community Life Center. You may use a driver’s license, a state identification card, a passport, or current mortgage, insurance, utility, or banking statements. One family member will be able to receive tickets for their household. Salem families can receive up to 6 tickets for their household. The Fair has free admission for children under 8 with an adult ticket. Should a family require more than 6 tickets, please speak with staff when picking up your admission tickets. Tickets will be distributed through Friday October 6th, as long as supplies last, as there is a limited number of tickets available and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. This offer is not available for school or other group/organization trips to the fair. This offer is not available by phone or online. It may not be combined with any other offers.
Please remember, in order to participate in this program, residents MUST pick up their tickets at the Jean A. Levesque Community Life Center at 401 Bridge Street. You will not be able to gain admission to the fair without having your tickets in hand. Please feel free to contact Kathy McCarthy 978-744-0924 at the Jean A. Levesque Community Life Center should you have any questions.
ABOUT SALEM’S BENEFACTOR: Norman Read, who died in 1992 at age 100, made his fortune in the sciences of oil and natural gas in Texas and Alaska. Before he died, he created the trust as a means to enhance excellence in science education for all Salem residents. Generations of his family were residents of Salem for hundreds of years.
