Website Launch: Topsfield Fair

The new homepage for the Topsfield Fair site.
by: Dev Sperling | web designing, websites

We are so lucky! A couple of months ago, we blogged about redesigning the website for our existing client, Pest-End Exterminators, and today we are happy to announce that we have redesigned another website for an existing client, the Topsfield Fair

Known as America’s Oldest County Fair, the Topsfield Fair is an annual fair that takes place in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It’s a ten day extravaganza that ends on Columbus Day. Started in 1820 by the Essex County Agricultural Society, the Topsfield Fair was once a one-day cattle show. Today, the fair draws 450,000 to 500,000 visitors each year and has carnival rides and food, farm animals, live entertainment, and of course the Great Pumpkin Weigh Off!

Their Old Site

We designed their previous website back in 2014. Below are some screenshots from the former site.

The homepage of the Topsfield Fair's last site.

Another screenshot of the Topsfield Fair's old site.

The facility section of the old Topsfield Fair site.

The admissions section of the Topsfield Fair site.

Given their old site was made five years ago, it was time for a new one. The Topsfield Fair wanted a refresh as well as increased user experience and usability with their new site.  Ultimately, they wanted to make it easier for people to find what they were looking for without having to scour the site or Internet for answers.

The Creative Process

According to designer, Brady Hall, the challenge with this project was serving the site’s multiple audiences. “We hypothesized the target audience is parents, grandparents, nannies, and babysitters. Essentially, parents or guardians from the ages of 25 to 70. But ultimately, I wanted to design the site as if the kid is there, looking over the parent or guardian’s shoulder as they plan their trip to the fair. So as much as I had to make the site informative and user-friendly, I also needed to make sure the site had a fun look for kids and adults alike.” 

To help him, Hall looked at the websites of other state and county fairs. Then he looked at giant fairs and festivals like Six Flags and Hershey Park to see how they displayed information. “I really took a lot from their usage of hierarchy in font weights, color coordinations with specific pages, and the flow of the pages,” Hall explained. He incorporated a mega-menu to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. 

When a user hovers over the mega menu, the various pages turn yellow, Topsfield’s other brand color. “The yellow is such a classic color of the fair-but it is an accent color and should be used as such-to highlight parts,” Hall informed. The use of yellow certainly helps users with seeing where they are on the site.

The new homepage for the Topsfield Fair site.

Another screenshot of the new Topsfield Fair homepage.

The new navigation for the Topsfield Fair site.

The education section of the Topsfield Fair site.

The Great Pumpkin Weigh-In section of the new Topsfield Fair site.

While our agency has become known for web design and development, photography is what grew our business. Founder/director Mike Sperling photographed events when he started Sperling Interactive in 2008 and one of his earliest events was the Topsfield Fair. With the new website, we incorporated photography from recent years. 

Our project manager/photographer, Lauren Termini, stated “the fair itself is highly visual – with lights, sounds, animals, food – so we were able to get really creative with the new site. With their new online presence, I am looking forward to photographing this year’s fair with their new site in mind.” 

Not only is the site playful and informative, it’s easy for the Topsfield Fair to use. Developer Mark LeBlanc shared, “the organization of the content management is easy enough for people to make edits. So the client can edit on their own.”  We developed the website in WordPress. Not only is WordPress easy to build websites with and edit content through, you can design customizable sites through it. 

If you haven’t been to the Topsfield Fair before, you don’t want to miss this upcoming season. Click here to purchase your ticket!