Pittsfield To Celebrate 1st Aggie Fair's 200th Anniversary

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One of the city's claims of historical fame will be re-enacted on Friday as part of the yearlong 250th birthday celebration.

The state Agricultural Fairs Association is putting on an agricultural fair in Park Square — the same location of the nation's first modern agricultural fair 200 years ago. The 4 p.m. event features live demonstrations, historical interpretations, animals and exhibits depicting the early agricultural roots of fairs.

Park Square hosted the first agricultural fair in 1811, three years after the idea came to Elkanah Watson, who had exhibited two Merino sheep beneath an elm tree in the square in 1807 and drawn a large crowd. From that experience, he began to organize the fair and the Berkshire Agricultural Society in an attempt to promote better agricultural practices. The first fair, in September 1811, was mostly an animal exhibit with prizes going to best oxen, cattle, swine and sheep.

Watson continued to organize agricultural societies and fairs and by 1819 most counties in New England had organized societies and by the 1900s almost every state had at least one fair or exhibition.

On Friday, Donna Chandler will bring back the nostalgia by showing off her own Merino ewe and ram from Hancock Shaker Village under the elm tree. Samantha, Olivia and Taylor Mason of Worthington will be exhibiting two pair of oxen. The Judd family of Goshen will display antique tractors, which will be exhibited side by side with modern tractors from Pittsfield Lawn and Garden. Bill Roberts of Northampton will supply a horse and carriage.

The fair will kick off with Dennis Picard, director of the Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield, home of the Big E, portraying Watson and delivering a condensed version of the speech he gave on founding the Berkshire Agricultural Society. There will also be comments from Mayor James Ruberto, state Sen. Benjamin Downing, D-Pittsfield, and state Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox.

Following the fair, there will be a reception at the Crowne Plaza that will feature archives from different fairs on display.
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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