FRYEBURG, Maine — Since 1851, Mainers from Oxford County and beyond have flocked to the Fryeburg Fair. What once was an opportunity for local farmers to come together has evolved into a week-long event filled with fun for the whole family.
But organizers have always said, wouldn’t it be great to host a wedding here?
The dream finally became a reality during a summer-like Wednesday afternoon.
Jim Grover and Kim Shuckerow called Stacy McConkey, the assistant pull superintendent, a month ago and said they wanted to get married during the fair this year.
Jim has been coming to Fryeburg for the past 52 years, and has been with Kim for 18 years. Jim and his horses have also competed in the pulling ring for decades.
So, it was a fitting spot for the two to say those special words: "I do."
“They love the Fryeburg Fair, they’ve been coming here forever, the horse pull community is very tight,” Rachel Andrews Damon, head of publicity and advertising for the fair, said.
Jim was escorted to the center of the pulling ring by two of his horses, who will still compete in events this week. But on Wednesday, the horses acted more like his groomsmen.
Mainers packed into the stands just to see this fair wedding for themselves.
While it wasn’t a traditional ceremony, Jim and Kim picked their wedding song for the crowd to enjoy, had their first dance, and were surrounded by loved ones.
“This is a big deal [for Jim and Kim],” longtime friend Pete Kelley said. “They don’t want much publicity, they’re quiet people, they’re nice people.”
Kelley added everyone in this horse-pulling community feels like family and they look out for each other. That was especially true when Jim was diagnosed with cancer and that "fair family" did whatever they could to help.
“As you could see today with the crowd, [they are] loved by many, many people, it’s one big family,” McConkey added.
After the ceremony, Jim and Kim rode off into the sunset in a fair-provided golf cart. However, they’re not going too far. The couple will be enjoying the rest of the fair schedule from their camper parked on the grounds.
A fitting honeymoon for a couple that has spent so much time together in Fryeburg.
It was a unique event that left many saying, “That’s so Maine.”