Memories, activities abound at Topsfield Fair

TOPSFIELD – Carver native Chris Spector helped his 12-year-old brother, Cody Hamilton, get ready for the rodeo during a recent night at the Topsfield Fair.”I just help get his equipment ready and stuff like that since he is so young,” Spector said.Hamilton competed in the junior rodeo Wednesday night. The brothers tour New England and most of New York for rodeo events.Spector, himself, has been a part of rodeo since he was 2 and his younger brother soon followed in his footsteps.”I grew up around horses and we have two bulls at home we practice with,” Spector said.For Spector it is the risk that draws him into the dangerous sport. “It is the challenge I like,” Spector said. “It is man vs. beast.”Rodeo is just one of the many and growing list of attractions at this year’s Topsfield Fair, which runs through Monday. The fair offers a wide variety of acts and attractions, from standard fair offerings like rides and games, a wide variety of food and drink, along with a number of well-known artists who have performed at the fair, including Phil Vassar, Ayla Brown and Randy Houser.Mike Posner is scheduled to perform tonight at 6 p.m. – visitors must buy a separate ticket to attend his show.But the fair also offers a variety of animal attractions as part of the admission price, highlighted by the Bengal Tiger Encounter today, Sunday and Monday.In another part of the fair grounds, which are located off Route 1 in Topsfield, West Newbury native Judy Capone shared her love for Japanese bunka embroidery along with different artisans.Capone has been making Japanese bunka embroidery for 30 years. “My friend was taking a class and told me about it,” she said. “Since then I have been hooked.”Other fairgoers marveled at the giant pumpkin contest winner.The winner weighed in at an astounding 1,668.5 pounds and was grown by Peter DiNigris.”It is huge,” Jim McDonald of Tewksbury said. “They must have brought it in by a truck.”Fairgoers could also get their handwriting analyzed as well as astrological advice.Marblehead resident Jared Via manned the booth.The interior designer decided get involved with the fair to make some extra money.”The economy is bad so I thought why not?” Via said. “They called me up at the beginning of the week and said they have an open booth and that’s how I got here.”His background in theater, astrology and his recent interest in handwriting analysis is what Via believes got him the job. The experience at Topsfield Fair has proved to be a fruitful one. “I already got five jobs offers,” he said. “It is amazing.”Singer Ayla Brown, the daughter of Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, could be seen walking around the fairgrounds Wednesday afternoon.The Massachusetts native, who performed Wednesday on the grandstand stage, has been going to the fair since she was 12.”I am really excited to perform,” Brown said before her performance. “I can’t wait to get out there.”The country singer recounted the many treasured family memories she had of the fair.”I loved the honey sticks. I vividly remember them,” Brown recalled. “I would beg my parents for more of them. I would take them home and savor them.”Brown has been busy these past couple of months. She has been living in Nashville, country music’s capital, for almost a year.”It is very different,” Brown said. “But different in every incredible way imaginable.”The singer fell in love with country music because of her best friend who was at Topsfield Fair earlier this week to catch her performance. “She is the reason why I love country music,” she said. “The melodies and style of country music is the best way to communicate. I feel very patriotic when I hear a country song. I feel honored to be an American when I hear country.”Her parents were surprised when she told them she wanted to follow her dreams of music.”They probably thought I was crazy but I know they love and support me,” Brown said. “I think they were about to fall over when I told them I was moving to Nashville. It was a ha