“We’ve been looking forward to coming and checking out the festivities,” Joe Tella said. Last year’s fair was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year the intermittent weather was not going to deter the family. The Tellas moved to North Stonington last year and said they've been looking forward to attending the fair ever since. It’s the thing to do,” said Britt Tella, who attended Thursday with husband Joe and son Kade. Other patrons were attracted to the fair because of its local reputation. As first-time attendees, she said she initially heard about the fair through Facebook. Paradiso and her son enjoyed many of the fair’s offerings Thursday night, including feeding goats and devouring gyros. “We were committed to coming unless it was lightning and thunder and downpouring,” she said. Jeanne Paradiso and her 6-year-old son Jack of Johnston, R.I., traveled to North Stonington armed with rain jackets ready to brave the weather. “Most definitely, the weather plays a big part in our attendance.” “If it’s storming in northwestern Connecticut, they’re not gonna make the drive here even though it may not be storming in North Stonington,” Whipple said. Patrons come from all over Connecticut, Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts to attend the fair. The other potential impact of the storm is on fair attendance, she said. we have a place to shelter, but we don’t anticipate that happening here,” Whipple said. Jodi Whipple, the fair’s vice president, said Thursday she remained hopeful that the storm will have little impact on the fair’s operation. With Tropical Storm Elsa forecast to hit southeastern Connecticut on Friday, fair officials said they would be continuously checking weather reports through the weekend to be prepared to take any necessary safety precautions. The annual four-day fair kicked off Thursday night with attractions like tractor pulling, fair princess and queen contests, a performance by local rock band Alter Ego and, of course, amusement rides.
![alter ego band at state fair alter ego band at state fair](https://choosingfigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/what-to-do-at-wisconsin-state-fair-055-700x525.jpg)
The one thing they couldn’t plan for this year, though, was Mother Nature. North Stonington - From contracting vendors to guaranteeing live entertainment, the North Stonington Agricultural Fair staff is in planning mode year-round.