The Skowhegan State Fair opens Thursday and runs through August 22 at 33 Constitution Avenue. This is the 208th year of the nation’s oldest consecutively running agricultural fair, and the whole valley gets the benefit.

Gates open at 7 a.m. every day. Exhibition halls run noon to 10 p.m. Midway, food, and vendors start at 1 p.m. Opening day (Thursday the 13th) and Tuesday the 18th are $1 gate admission. Kids 10 and under are free every day. Regular adult prices run $10–$15 depending on the day; seniors 62+ get half-price on the 17th and 20th; military ID holders get half-price on the 19th.

You’ll find livestock shows, agricultural exhibits, harness racing, pulls, the midway, live entertainment, and all the fair food you’d expect. Daily schedules are posted on the fair’s site as they firm up. Bring the family, park in the infield for $5 if you want, and plan for a full day.

I have fond memories of going to the fair as a kid with my parents. I remember winning a very large bear for my mom. I was pretty proud of that. i could throw a baseball pretty accurately and proved it at the fair.

This is one of those events that still feels like Maine — practical, traditional, and worth the drive from Augusta, Waterville, or anywhere in the valley. More at skowheganstatefair.com.

What month did the very first Skowhegan fair actually take place — and why is that timing especially notable for Maine?

Answer at the end of the newsletter

Hey neighbors —

A quick hello from me before we dig into everything happening around the valley this week. I hope you’re finding a little breathing room between the heat, the fair traffic, and the back-to-school scramble.

I want to tip my hat this week to our sponsor, Tony LaPrino and North Star Property Solutions. They’re Central Maine’s Property Preparation Specialist, helping homeowners and real estate professionals get properties ready for what’s next — for a sale, a new tenant, or a fresh start. They handle professional painting, drywall repair, and cosmetic improvements, and through the Listing Ready™ Priority Program, they give agents a fast, reliable path to market-ready listings without contractor delays. What sets them apart: they show up on time, communicate, and finish what they start — in an industry where too many homeowners have been burned by contractors who don’t. They won’t sell you work you don’t need. Five years in, licensed and insured, serving Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, Orono, Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville, Augusta, and surrounding communities.

I Appreciate you, Tony. Glad to have North Star in our corner.

Now let’s get to what’s happening around the Kennebec Valley this week

There’s a schoolteacher in Central Maine who’s found a clever way to share the region’s history after the classroom lights go out.

Jodie Bennett has 28 years in education. By night she becomes “The Lady in White” and leads tours through some of Augusta and Hallowell’s most storied (and reportedly haunted) spots. To make the experience accessible to more people, she bought a retro bus and turned the inside into a Victorian parlor on wheels — complete with antique-style décor. She calls it the Boo Bus.

The bus rolls to places like the former Augusta Mental Health Institute and other historic landmarks. Bennett says the tours are about connecting people to the real stories of this stretch of the Kennebec, not just the spooky ones.

Tours run Thursday and Saturday nights. Seats need to be reserved ahead of time at KennebecCreepsAndCrawls.com.

Here’s the WABI story that takes you inside the bus:

38th Annual Winthrop Arts Festival Saturday, August 15 · 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Downtown Main Street, Winthrop

Local artists and artisans fill the street with painting, watercolor, drawing, prints, photography, wood, metal, and fabric work. Free admission. A strong community day that pulls people from all over the lakes region and beyond.

10th Annual Greater Augusta Back to School Event Sunday, August 16 · 1–3 p.m. Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive

Free school supplies for PreK–12 students in the greater Augusta area (Augusta, Gardiner, Hallowell, Manchester, Sidney, Readfield, Winthrop, Whitefield, Chelsea, and surrounding towns). Students need to be present. This is the real community hand-off that helps kids start the year on equal footing

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Skowhegan State Fair (opening week) Thursday, August 13 through Saturday, August 22 33 Constitution Avenue, Skowhegan

Gates open 7 a.m., halls noon–10 p.m., midway and food at 1 p.m. Opening day and Tuesday the 18th are $1 gate admission; children 10 and under free every day. Livestock, agricultural exhibits, harness racing, pulls, midway, and fair food. Full details and daily schedule at skowheganstatefair.com.

Oakland Town Council Wednesday, August 12 · 6 p.m. Town of Oakland

Augusta City Council Informational Meeting Thursday, August 13 · 6:30 p.m. City Hall, 16 Cony Street, Augusta

Augusta Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday, August 18 · 5:30 p.m. Augusta

Oakland Planning Board Tuesday, August 18 · 6 p.m. Town of Oakland

Hallowell Regionalization Efficiency Group Tuesday, August 18 · 6 p.m. Hallowell

Kennebec Valley Chamber Women’s Network: “Leading with Laughter” Wednesday, August 12 · 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. KV Chamber Event Space Speaker: Amy Roeder, corporate trainer and comedian. $25 for members / $35 for non-members. Lunch provided by Nellie’s Kitchen. Registration is closed; email [email protected] to join the waitlist.

Mid-Maine Chamber Business After Hours Wednesday, August 12 · 5:30–7 p.m. Prime Financial Inc. / Children’s Discovery Museum, 7 Eustis Parkway, Waterville Networking, hors d’oeuvres, and door prizes. Free for Chamber members and guests.

Kennebec Networkers BNI Wednesday, August 12 · 8:00 a.m. Thomas College Ice Vault, 203 Whitten Road, Hallowell Weekly in-person chapter meeting. Visitors welcome through the official BNI “Visit This Chapter” process.

Elm City Referral Source BNI Thursday, August 13 · 8:30 a.m. Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, 50 Elm Street, Waterville Weekly in-person chapter meeting. Visitors welcome through the official BNI process.

United Way of Kennebec Valley leadership transition Courtney Yeager’s final day as President & CEO is Tuesday, August 18. She has spent 10 years with the organization — the last seven as CEO — and was the first woman and the youngest person to hold the top job. The board has already launched its succession process. This is a quiet but significant hand-off for a nonprofit that touches families and nonprofits across the entire county.

Oakland downtown façade grants The Town of Oakland awarded $25,000 to three local businesses through its first Façade & Downtown Improvement Grant Program. With the required 1:1 match, the grants are expected to generate more than $81,000 in downtown capital improvements. Small-scale economic development that actually shows up on Main Street.

Thomas College students place second in Greenlight Maine Cayo Novaes, Vitor Povoa, and Gabriel Guizelini Fortuna took second place and $7,500 with their athlete-development platform, MVP Development, in the Greenlight Maine Season 11 College Edition. Local college entrepreneurship putting real ideas in front of investors.

Fairfield Farmers’ Market Wednesday, August 12 · 2–6 p.m. Saturday, August 15 · 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Nazarene Church parking lot, 81 Main Street, Fairfield Season runs May through October.

Downtown Waterville Farmers’ Market Thursday, August 13 · 2–6 p.m. Head of Falls Park, 60 Front Street, Waterville

Hallowell Farmers Market Saturday, August 15 · 9 a.m.–noon Stevens Commons, 2 Beech Street, Hallowell

Skowhegan Farmers’ Market Saturday, August 15 · 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Somerset Grist Mill, 42 Court Street, Skowhegan (Note: the State Fair is open the same weekend — easy to combine a market stop with a fair visit.)

Winthrop Farmers’ Market Thursday, August 13 · 2–6 p.m. Municipal parking lot at Main and Union streets, Winthrop (Through September 10)

Augusta Farmers’ Market at Mill Park Tuesday, August 18 · 2–6 p.m. Mill Park / 1 Water Street, Augusta

A quick tech tip for the valley this week:

Windows 10 official support ended on October 14, 2025 — we’re now about 10 months past that date. If any of your home or work computers are still running Windows 10, they are no longer receiving security updates from Microsoft. It’s worth checking those machines and planning the move to a supported system so you’re not leaving doors open longer than necessary.

A timely eye-care note for Wednesday: the partial solar eclipse peaks around 1:53 p.m. in the Augusta–Waterville area (about 21% coverage). If you’re watching, use proper eclipse glasses or a safe viewing method — never look directly at the sun, even for a second. This is the last solar eclipse Maine will see until 2045, so protect those eyes and enjoy the show.

Greater Augusta Back to School Event Sunday, August 16 · 1–3 p.m. Augusta Civic Center

Free school supplies for PreK–12 students in the greater Augusta area. Students need to be present. This is the 10th year of a program that has grown into one of the most practical community efforts of the late summer. Towns served include Augusta, Gardiner, Hallowell, Manchester, Sidney, Readfield, Winthrop, Whitefield, Chelsea and surrounding communities.

SUN Bucks deadline reminder Maine DHHS manual applications for SUN Bucks close August 15 for families who were not automatically enrolled. Worth a quick check if you know a household that may still need to apply.

A Celebration of Waterville Sunday, August 16 · 4–6 p.m. Beth Israel Congregation, 291 Main Street, Waterville

Food from several immigrant communities. A portion of the proceeds supports the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

Simple Blueberry Cobbler

Late-summer blueberries are still around, and this is one of the easiest ways to use them.

You’ll need: ⅔ cup flour ½ cup sugar 1½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ⅔ cup milk 2 teaspoons melted butter 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Heat the oven to 350°. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Grease a small casserole dish with the melted butter, tip in the blueberries, and pour the batter over the top. Bake 40–45 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

That’s it. Serve warm. Leftovers keep a couple of days in the fridge.

Source: University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

These are the steady weekly and monthly happenings you can count on in the valley:

Kennebec Networkers BNI Every Wednesday · 8:00 a.m. Thomas College Ice Vault, 203 Whitten Road, Hallowell

Elm City Referral Source BNI Every Thursday · 8:30 a.m. Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, 50 Elm Street, Waterville

Downtown Waterville Farmers’ Market Thursdays · 2–6 p.m. Head of Falls Park

Hallowell Farmers Market Saturdays · 9 a.m.–noon Stevens Commons

Augusta Farmers’ Market at Mill Park Tuesdays · 2–6 p.m. Mill Park / 1 Water Street

Fairfield Farmers’ Market Wednesdays 2–6 p.m. and Saturdays 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Nazarene Church parking lot, 81 Main Street

(Check the individual organizers for any holiday or weather cancellations.)

Got something happening in the Kennebec Valley that belongs in a future issue?

Events, business news, community efforts, adoptable pets, or a story worth sharing — just reply to this newsletter. I’ll see it.

We read every note

North Star Property Solutions

Tony LaPrino

Central Maine’s Property Preparation Specialist, helping homeowners and real estate professionals get properties ready for what’s next — a sale, a new tenant, or a fresh start. Professional painting, drywall repair, and cosmetic improvements. Through the Listing Ready™ Priority Program, agents get a fast, reliable path to market-ready listings without contractor delays.

They show up on time, communicate, and finish what they start. Five years in, licensed and insured. Serving Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, Orono, Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville, Augusta, and surrounding communities. 207 745- 5304

If this newsletter is useful to you, the single most helpful thing you can do is forward it to one neighbor, coworker, or friend who cares about what’s happening in the Kennebec Valley.

That’s how more people find it. That’s how the list grows. That’s how we keep the focus local and the content useful.

Reply if you have something to share. Forward if you know someone who should be reading.

Either way, thank you.

This week’s nod goes to three Thomas College students — Cayo Novaes, Vitor Povoa, and Gabriel Guizelini Fortuna — who took second place and $7,500 in the Greenlight Maine Season 11 College Edition with their athlete-development platform, MVP Development.

It’s a clean, local win. Three students from right here in the valley putting an idea in front of investors and walking away with real recognition. That kind of practical ambition is worth noticing.

Nice work, guys. The valley is paying attention.

We’re in that stretch of August when the fairgrounds start filling up, the markets still have good berries, and the back-to-school lists are getting real. Skowhegan opens its 208th fair this week. Winthrop puts artists on Main Street Saturday. Augusta hands out school supplies on Sunday. And on Wednesday the moon takes a small bite out of the sun for a couple of hours in the middle of the day.

None of it is flashy. All of it is local.

That’s the point of this newsletter. Not the biggest story of the week. Just the ones that belong to the people who live here.

If you make it to the fair, the arts festival, or the civic center on Sunday, notice the small things. The kids carrying new backpacks. The artists setting up under tents. The families who’ve been coming to the fair for generations. Those are the details that stay with you longer than the headlines.

Thanks for reading. See you next week.

— Sandy

January 1819. At the time, Somerset County was still part of Massachusetts; Maine didn’t become a state until 1820.