Anyone who has ever been to the Common Ground Fair here, which celebrates all things rural, organic and agricultural, has probably also been in the epic traffic jam either going or coming or both. This year, the fair’s 40th anniversary, Maine Adult Education is organizing buses from several locations around the state as a way to alleviate the congestion and reduce the carbon footprint of fairgoers.

The fair, produced annually by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), runs for three days, Sept. 23-25; the buses will run on the weekend only. On Saturday, fairgoers can ride buses from Windham, Portland, Freeport, Gardiner, Bath, Damariscotta, Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Lincoln and Bangor. On Sunday, buses will transport fairgoers from Skowhegan and Fairfield. Depending on the distance, the cost of the ride ranges from $14 to $39. Bus riders also get discounted admission to the fair, $8 as compared to gate tickets prices of $15.

“Ride with us, get in for less, and avoid driving and parking hassles!” the bus organizers say. To sign up, go to maineadult.org and search for “Common Ground Fair.”

To ease the parking problem, fair organizers have previously encouraged fairgoers to park their cars and ride the last few miles to the fair by bicycle or train. Few other organizations in Maine have the history of caring about the environment that MOFGA does, so it seems especially apt that fairgoers now have the option to ride a bus, helping in some small way to reduce polluting car emissions and, thereby, global warming.


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