Touring the Extended Area: The Tunbridge World's Fair

the fair stage showcases live music throughout the weekend

The Tunbridge World's Fair showcases historical agricultural equipment, as well as other artifacts pertinent to small town life from the last couple of centuries. The extended area we are residing in hosts many towns that were established around 1761, it turns out. The fair celebrates this longevity by displaying numerous antique hand tools, and cattle driven farming equipment. The local historical society also gathers volunteers to offer living history enactments during the four days of the fair.

living history actors at the Tunbridge World's Fair

Within the historical area of the fair there are also displays of people today that still do crafts by hand. There was a woman demonstrating yarn spinning, for example. The most remarkable display, however, was given by Gregoire's Violin Shop where the owner still makes violins completely by hand. He worked on carving a violin for fair goers and also had one of his handmade violins on display. The wood of the violin, he said, was tiger maple, which, when varnished, offers a gorgeous striping effect, as shown clearly on the back of the violin.

Marc Gregoire displaying and working on his hand made violins

The ten-year old and I took a couple of fair rides, and she played a couple of games too.

the ten year old being the strongman, and the two of us on the merry go round