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On a night filled with bright lights, fried food, and agriculture on display, New Englanders flocked to the Topsfield Fair on Friday for the start of its 2024 run.

The Topsfield Fair — the oldest county fair in the U.S. — was founded by the Essex Agricultural Society in 1818 as a cattle show, traveling each year until it finally settled in Topsfield, Mass. in 1910.

As the years flew by, the fair expanded. It added a bee display, dozens of food vendors, and even carnival rides. But perhaps most notably, the fair is home to the All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, which unofficially kicks off the fair’s 10-day run each year.

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Over its 40 years, the fair’s grand gourds have seen attention far and wide, shattering a series of giant pumpkin records. In 2002, 2007, and 2012, pumpkins at the fair set world records for their weight. The 2012 champ was the first one-ton pumpkin ever recorded.

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Pumpkins are carried around the arena via forklift to be cleaned and weighed in front of an audience that eagerly awaits a victor.

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This year’s winning pumpkin, grown by Steve Connolly, weighed in at 2,211 pounds. He received his victory check from Mrs. Essex County 2024 Lori Burke and celebrated with a surprise guest — Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92.

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Connolly, a four-time Topsfield champion from Sharon, Mass., is a veteran grower. This year was his 32nd year growing giant pumpkins and his 30th year doing it competitively.

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Henry J. Swenson, a 22-year-old Topsfield native and 9-year pumpkin grower, set a personal best at this year’s fair. His pumpkin weighed a whopping 1,349 pounds and was the first of the night to break 1,000.

But beyond the pumpkins, the fair hosts a slew of animal competitions, from the dairy goat show to a horse pulling contest.

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Throughout the day, attendees can stop by petting zoos to see sheep, cows, bunnies, and more.

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The Topsfield fairgrounds are also home to the Essex County Beekeepers Association.

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At the fair, bees, honey, and other bee-themed paraphernalia are on display in the Bee Building.

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Charlie Donnelly Moran, an Essex County beekeeper, gave ribbons to passersby who successfully identified the hive’s queen bee.

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Julie C. Sullivan and Joanne D. Leary warmly recalled attending the fair together back when they were teenagers. 31 years later, they still haven’t stopped.

“We started coming and bringing friends from out of town and then started bringing our kids, who just loved the fair,” Sullivan said.

When the fair took a year off during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sullivan and Leary hosted their own makeshift fair in Leary’s backyard.

Though Swenson — the giant pumpkin grower — is a competitor at the fair today, he first came to Topsfield back when he was a child.

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“The vibes you get there — the feeling — something about it is really cool,” Swenson said.