At one end of the field, children were throwing lariats to catch "cows" made out of sawhorses. At another, they watched a wood carver spin tops and magic wands out of wood.

Vendors did heavy business at the Rochester Country Fair, despite the pouring rain on Friday night and sweltering heat on Saturday. At the Republican Party table, Marion resident W. Dale Jones handed out waters to anyone looking red and parched.

The Rochester Historical Society offered bake goods, though members found themselves constantly re-arranging the food to keep it out of the sun. The Black Leash, a pet company out of East Freetown, offered leather dog harnesses, collars and leashes, as well as lead lines for horses.

Wood turner Lenny Langevin was at the fair as part of Gateway Turners, a wood turning group out of West Wareham. Working at the front of the tent, Langevin gathered a crowd as he quickly created tops and magic wands out of wood.

"If you can spin it, you can keep it," he joked of the tops. "I'm usually making wands."

When one fan was particularly enamored with his wand-making abilities, Langevin snuck one wand out of his bag and handed it over.

"Don't tell anyone," he said with a smile.