Again this year, the final day of New England's Oldest 'Family Fair® will go out with a bang, as fairgoers enjoy the excitement of Deerfield Fair's demolition derby.

"The derby gets more popular every year," says Deerfield Fair Association president Sheryl Bolduc, "and the excitement is already building for this year's contest!"  The fair's first demolition derby was held two years ago at the tractor pull area, near entrance gate C.  "Even with rainy weather, the crowd had a lot of fun," remembers Bolduc.  "And the crowds just kept getting bigger.  For those who've never been to a derby, it's like adults playing bumper cars, only with real cars.  There are rules, of course, but basically the drivers compete for a $750 cash prize by smashing into each other until there's only one car left that can still move under its own power." 

The fair takes a number of safety precautions.  "To begin with," explains Bolduc, "the cars never get going very fast, and they get and they get slower and slower as they get more and more banged up. When a car can no longer move, the driver signals and the remaining cars allow the person to exit the track safely. Nobody gets hurt and it's just a whole lot of fun for the whole family."

The demolition derby closes the four-day fair, which opens September 25 at the Deerfield Fairgrounds on Route 43 in Deerfield, New Hampshire. A living tribute to the state's rural and farming heritage and a tradition for generations of families, it offers horse shows, cattle competitions, sheep herding and 4-H demonstrations, and swine and poultry judging. Fairgoers can cheer on their favorites in horse and tractor pulls, log-cutting contests and much more. There are also various shows, music, magic, puppets and more on the fair's several stages and performance areas. Another highlight is the crowning of the 2008 Miss Deerfield Fair.

"This year will feature the First Annual Fiddlers Contest on Saturday, September 27, and the First Annual Banjo Contest on Sunday, September 28," says Fair Director Alan O'Neal. "There'll be a whole lot of hand clapping and foot stomping at these two new events!"  A midway offers exciting amusement park rides plus the terrific and varied fair food, everything from sausage subs to old-fashioned cotton candy to funnel cake. Adult tickets are just 8 dollars, kids 12 and under get in free, and over one hundred acres of on-site parking is available free of charge. More information is available at http://www.deerfieldfair.com.