COMING TO THIS FAIR FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS? PAST EIGHT YEAR WAS WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK? THIS STUFF A POTATO ON A STICK? NO FRIED CHICKEN, FRIED CLAMS, FRENCH FRIES, FRIED OREOS. OF COURSE, AT EVERY FAIR, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR FAIR SHARE OF FRIED FOOD. BUT THE TOPSFIELD FAIR IS BRINGING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. AREN’T MARK FRIEDMAN IS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE B’NAI B’RITH BOOTH. THIS BOOTH STARTED HERE IN 1970 AS SIMPLY A SMALL LITTLE HOT DOG AND PASTRAMI STAND AND IT HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE BIGGEST BOOTHS AT THE TOPSFIELD FAIR. I’VE BEEN WORKING HERE SINCE I WAS 13 YEARS OLD. OUR MOST POPULAR ITEM IS THE QUARTER POUND HOT DOG. A QUARTER POUND HOT DOG. YES, QUARTER A BIG, BIG HOT DOG. AND IT’S ALL BEEF. IT’S HEBREW NATIONAL. IT’S KOSHER. IT’S THIS SOLID HOT DOG, BUT BIGGER THAN THE QUARTER POUND HOT DOG IS THE BIG BEHEMOTH THAT IS THE OF SANDWICH. WE START WITH A BULKY ROLL. YES. WE START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BRISKET ON THE BOTTOM. YES. THEN WE ADD PASTRAMI, THEN ON WE ADD A POTATO PANCAKE, THEN WE ADD SOME BEEF CHILI ON TOP. AND THEN WE PUT A BULKY ROLL ON IT, STICK IT WITH A TOOTHPICK, AND THEN PUT A LITTLE SLIDE UP THE SIDE, A PICKLE ON THERE AND IT GOES OUT, OUT OF THE WINDOW WITH A NICE HARVEY I HAD TO TRY ONE MYSELF. IF I’M TOLD I NEED TO ORDER AN EGG SANDWICH, PLEASE. ONE SANDWICH. THEY THEY. I’M AT THE TOPSFIELD FAIR. YOU GOT TO GET INVOLVED. OF COURSE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER TASTY TREATS AROUND THE FAIRGROUNDS. SOUNDS CHEESY. GOOD. OH, THERE YOU GO. WOW. OH, THAT’S GOING TO GO RIGHT IN THERE. BUT I’M IN THE MOOD FOR SOMETHING SWEET. SO I’M TOLD APPLE PIES, APPLE CRISP. ARE OUR FAVORITE HERE AT THE TOPSFIELD FAIR. YES. AND BLUEBERRY CRISP. IT’S TIME FOR A TOPSFIELD TRADITION. CAN I HAVE ONE APPLE CRISP? YOU SURE CAN. WOULD YOU LIKE ICE CREAM? I, OF COURSE. AM WHIPPED CREAM. OKAY. HOW ABOUT SOME CARAMEL? SHOULD I GET CARAMEL? YES. OKAY. APPLE LOADED. I LOVE IT. IT’S FAT FREE, RIGHT? OF COURSE IT IS. HERE IT GOES. ENJOY. I WILL MISS IT. SO GOOD. HOT APPLE CRISP. A PERFECT FALL TREAT THAT APPLE CRISP WAS SO GOOD. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THE TOPSFIELD FAIR HAS GONE FOR THE SEASON, BUT IT WILL BE BACK IN 2024, OCTOBER 4TH TO 14TH. MARK YOUR CALENDARS, BRING YOUR APPETITE. THAT’S CHRONICLE FOR TONIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, EVERYONE. I’M ANTHONY EVERETT. AND I’M SHAYNA SEYMOUR. HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
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Topsfield Fair has food that’s to die for
Apple crisp, cheesy rice balls, and a sandwich that will have you yelling ‘Oy Vey!’
Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Oct 18, 2023
The arrival of fall means it’s fair season in New England. Fairgoers will find food, games, rides, and animals at the Topsfield Fair. While it’s easy to have fun, general manager Jim O’Brien says planning the Topsfield Fair is a bit more complex.“It takes me 18 months to plan one fair. So we’re already into next year’s planning,” said Jim O’Brien, the Topsfield Fair general manager.Some vendors come back year after year; others are Topsfield Fair rookies. Either way, the more than 700 fair volunteers and 300 employees must be ready for opening night. Giant pumpkins are a crowd-favorite and one of the main events in Topsfield, but there is a whole host of daring shows throughout the 11-day fair.The Topsfield Fair is more than fun; it’s history. In 1818, the Essex Agricultural Society was formed and developed what is now known as the Topsfield Fair. Their goal was to promote agricultural interest in the area and educate visitors about its importance. More than 200 years later, the Topsfield Fair holds strong to that mission, educating visitors about farms, animals, and horticulture.Each year, the Topsfield Fair hosts hundreds of contests celebrating achievements in agriculture and the arts. In 2023, more than 21,000 entries were submitted to the various competitions held throughout the fair. Organizers say the beekeeping and honey show is the largest beekeeping exhibit at any fair in North America. Fair organizers recently introduced a new option at the fair: sensory day. They say most fairgoers don’t notice a difference in their experience, but the lower volume allows more people to enjoy the day. But many people head to the Topsfield Fair for the food. Fried chicken, fried clams, French fries, fried Oreos — of course, at every fair, you’re going to have your fair share of fried food. But the Topsfield Fair is bringing something a little bit different. The B’nai B’rith serves up the behemoth that is the Oy Vey sandwich.“We start with a bulky roll. We start with a little bit of brisket on the bottom. Then we add pastrami, then we add a potato pancake, then we add some beef chili on top, and then we put a bulky roll on it, stick it with a toothpick, and then put a little side of pickle on there,” said Marc Freedman, from the B’nai B’rith booth.
The arrival of fall means it’s fair season in New England. Fairgoers will find food, games, rides, and animals at the Topsfield Fair. While it’s easy to have fun, general manager Jim O’Brien says planning the Topsfield Fair is a bit more complex.
“It takes me 18 months to plan one fair. So we’re already into next year’s planning,” said Jim O’Brien, the Topsfield Fair general manager.
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Some vendors come back year after year; others are Topsfield Fair rookies. Either way, the more than 700 fair volunteers and 300 employees must be ready for opening night. Giant pumpkins are a crowd-favorite and one of the main events in Topsfield, but there is a whole host of daring shows throughout the 11-day fair.
The Topsfield Fair is more than fun; it’s history. In 1818, the Essex Agricultural Society was formed and developed what is now known as the Topsfield Fair. Their goal was to promote agricultural interest in the area and educate visitors about its importance. More than 200 years later, the Topsfield Fair holds strong to that mission, educating visitors about farms, animals, and horticulture.
Each year, the Topsfield Fair hosts hundreds of contests celebrating achievements in agriculture and the arts. In 2023, more than 21,000 entries were submitted to the various competitions held throughout the fair. Organizers say the beekeeping and honey show is the largest beekeeping exhibit at any fair in North America.
Fair organizers recently introduced a new option at the fair: sensory day. They say most fairgoers don’t notice a difference in their experience, but the lower volume allows more people to enjoy the day.
But many people head to the Topsfield Fair for the food. Fried chicken, fried clams, French fries, fried Oreos — of course, at every fair, you’re going to have your fair share of fried food. But the Topsfield Fair is bringing something a little bit different. The B’nai B’rith serves up the behemoth that is the Oy Vey sandwich.
“We start with a bulky roll. We start with a little bit of brisket on the bottom. Then we add pastrami, then we add a potato pancake, then we add some beef chili on top, and then we put a bulky roll on it, stick it with a toothpick, and then put a little side of pickle on there,” said Marc Freedman, from the B’nai B’rith booth.