I read with great enjoyment the Sept. 11 article about growing interest in the Common Ground Fair. This fair is the backdrop of many of my cherished childhood memories — from perusing the fine art and craft market with my grandmother, to raising dust clouds sliding down the amphitheater hill on a cardboard sled.

Since I started college, this fair has come to mean even more to me. The artisan community at the Common Ground Fair inspired me to start a fiber arts club at my school, which is often the highlight of my week. Community is a powerful antidote to the loneliness we all feel when the world seems to exist only inside our devices. 

Coming of age in a digital and increasingly divided world can be disheartening, but this fair is an annual reminder of the joy of craftsmanship and community. And by the way, the food is unparalleled.

Kathryn Busko
Orono