The organizers of the Fryeburg Fair have announced that metal detectors will be placed at the fairground entrances this year. Firearms and large knives longer than 4 inches are not allowed.
The organizers said in a Facebook post that the metal detectors will replace the bag checking that has been at the fair in the past, and that the Fryeburg Fair has always been a no-weapons event. Signs have been posted at the fairground entrances for many years, they added.
The announcement prompted a variety of reactions on Facebook, with some people commenting they wouldn’t attend the fair because of the entrance policy and that they felt less safe. Others said they felt more safe knowing that firearms and large knives would be prohibited on site.
The Fryeburg Fair runs from Sunday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 6.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.