More than 5,000 visitors and dozens of farm animals are descending on the Double Tree Hotel in downtown Manchester for this weekend's New Hampshire Farm and Forest Expo.
The annual event features workshops and trade booths on the state’s farming and forestry industry, as well as kid-friendly booths with farm animals and craft demonstrations.
Gesturing toward a crowd gazing at goats, organizer and state forester A.J. Dupere says visitors come from a mix of backgrounds.
"Some have been coming forever," he says. "And then we'll get the new crowd that's never been here before and is wondering why we got animals making noise in downtown Manchester."
Dupere points to a crate of fuzzy cornish hen chicks.
"We actually got baby chickens that just hatched out.”
Beyond the chicks, Sandy Priolo of Northwood is giving rug braiding demos.
“We’re called Braiders of the Lost Art because we want to keep the art of rug braiding alive," she says. "If you can braid hair you can braid a rug!”
The expo runs until 4 pm on Saturday, at the Manchester Double Tree Hotel.
