Set collapse injures woman at Blue Hill Fair

Wind gust blamed in accident

The Charlotte’s Web Stage was torn down shortly after being blown over by the wind. Photo by John Boit.

Sept. 8, 2026

By John Boit

BLUE HILL—A woman was injured when she was hit by part of a set that collapsed in a gust of wind at the Blue Hill Fair on Sunday.

Erik Fitch, general manager for the fair, said the set of Charlotte’s Web, a play based on the children’s book by E.B. White, was lifted up by a gust of wind and blown over, hitting a woman. The woman was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

The set had been created by The Grand, a theater in Ellsworth, Fitch said.

The Grand did not release any information on the accident over the weekend, except to post a message on social media saying the play had been cancelled and to thank paramedics and fair personnel. The post made no mention of the stage collapse or that anyone had been injured.

A woman contacted by The Rising Tide confirmed she was the same person who had been injured in the accident. She did not provide further details.

When contacted on Sept. 8, two days after the accident, The Grand declined to comment. 

“Out of respect for the privacy of and deference to all those involved, The Grand is not sharing any further information about the circumstances at this time. We will be happy to provide further details or updates to the public when it is appropriate to do so,” a spokesperson for the theater said in a statement to The Rising Tide.