Barry W. Norris

Growing up on a small farm in Buckfield, Maine, Barry learned hands-on about farming from his grandfather. As a teen, Barry moved to Goshen, New York, where he worked with standardbred horses at the old Hambletonian Track .
Later in life, Barry served the State of Maine as a sergeant in the Fire Marshal’s office where he learned about the carnival industry. These life experiences blended together when he began working with Maine fairs, first as head of security at Topsham Fair and later as president of the Union Fair. Barry traveled throughout Maine as a fair evaluator for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and later as a member of the Maine Association of
Agricultural Fairs. Elected as executive Director in 2019, Barry worked with fair boards, vendors and herdsmen to guide Maine fairs through the COVID epidemic. Locally he works with Maine legislators serving on the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry committee and Veterans and Legal Affairs committee as they consider bills that directly impact Maine fairs. Internationally Barry meets with the IAFE state and provincial association, and the public safety and security committee. Norris Farm in Union is where Barry lives with his wife Junia and raises purebred Hereford cattle.