The Down East faithful will transition from Farmington to the 152nd annual Cumberland Fair on Sunday, Sept. 22 with 11 harness races programmed at the iconic Southern Maine oval.

Many of Maine’s rural fairs are known for their tractor pulls and draft horse demonstrations; however, the Cumberland fair was first held in 1868 with harness racing as the “Maine” attraction.  It remains one of the biggest annual agricultural events in the southern part of the Pine Tree state.

The harness action at the Cumberland Fairgrounds will start at 1:30 p.m. on opening day, Sunday, Sept. 22 with full cards scheduled for eight racing dates through Sunday, Sept. 29, with a special post time of 11 a.m. for that final date.

The featured events for the opening day card are the first legs of five individual Pop-Up Series, which are conditioned and/or ‘TrackMaster rating’ trot and pace events. The series finals and top class overnights carry total final purses of more than $75,000 USD, are being held in conjunction with the $300,000 USD (est.) Maine Sire Stakes two-year-old finals on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Sunday’s opening day card has 11 races with each dash a Pop-Up Series leg carrying purses of up to $5,200 USD.

Maine Sire Stakes continue at the Cumberland Fair with three-year-old filly pacers on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and then roll into the three-year-old male pacers on Thursday, Sept. 26, with the three-year-old trotters completing the sophomore divisions on Friday, Sept. 27.

After the fair, the track’s 19-day Winter Festival begins Nov. 2 and follows a two-day Saturday-Sunday schedule throughout the month of November. The month of December picks up Fridays for three-day weekends of racing through Dec. 22.  The track's popular Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies are slated for Dec. 21.

(First Tracks Cumberland)