Fun for the family: Local fair season kicks off Friday
Local fair season kicks off Friday
The 165th Clearfield County Fair kicks off the local fair season on Friday, July 17, giving local residents and visitors much to do and see, including platinum selling country artist Gavin Adcock on July 19, Bull Ride Mania on July 22 and truck and tractor pulls on July 23.
Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment, the carnival provider since 2024, will have midway rides and games throughout the nine-day event, which wraps up July 25 with American rock band Everclear and Sister Hazel.
Fair manager Greg Hallstrom said being involved in planning the fair is a family tradition.
"My family has been involved with the fair forever, dating back to my grandfather. Now my granddaughter is involved with it -- my daughter, my son, my mother, my sister. It's a family thing for us growing up through the fire department," he said.
This year, gate admission is $5, as is parking. Gate admission tickets include daily entertainment at the David H. Litz Grove Stage and the Expo II Plaza. The horse pulls and harness racing are free with gate admission, while the midway rides and events such as Bull Ride Mania, truck and tractor pulls and concerts require additional ticket purchases.
A fair mainstay, the annual parade, will be held Monday, July 20, and go through downtown Clearfield before disbanding at the grandstand.
Another favorite, Kids Day, will be held July 21 with kids admitted free of charge until noon. Special activities that day for the younger crowd will include a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., kids' finger printing from noon to 2 p.m. and a pedal tractor pull at 2:30 p.m.
Hallstrom said there are quite a bit of new activities at the fair this year that have an America250 theme. He also noted there will be tug of war contests, farm animal calling, a hot-dog-eating contest, a pie-eating contest and a potato sack race.
A full daily schedule and information on tickets can be found on the fair's website at clearfieldcountyfair.com or on the fair's Facebook page.
Bedford County Fair, July 26-Aug. 1
While the Clearfield fair is wrapping up, Bedford County Fair organizers are gearing up for their fair set to run July 26 to Aug. 1.
Highlights of the 152nd Bedford County Fair include the ever-popular demolition derbies on Sunday and Thursday, Bull Ride Mania on Tuesday and Wednesday, auto racing on Friday and truck and tractor pulls on Saturday.
Military Appreciation Day and a voice contest are slated for Monday, July 27.
The Bedford fair will also have some America250-related activities, said Bill Hoover, fair president, noting the county's Liberty Bell will be on display at Jordan Hall.
In addition, the junior fair board will have 15-plus kids wear costumes that are America250-related. "They will walk around the fairgrounds, the midway and grandstands areas," Hoover said.
The fair plans to reinstate the Cavalcade of Livestock and Antique Tractor Parade at 5 p.m. Thursday. That parade of animals and tractors will use the track, much like it did in the past.
"We hope that it will become a tradition again," Hoover said.
The Bedford County fair is best known for its livestock, he said.
"What sets us apart is our livestock, we consider it second to none. The Saturday livestock sale is big; last year it brought in nearly $600,000. We have over 800 farm animals," Hoover said.
The fair will have about 50 food and merchandise vendors on the ground and another 20 inside Jordan Hall, he said.
The all-in-one admission is $15 and includes the grounds, grandstand events and midway rides. Family day is Monday, with admission set at $7 all day. Also on Monday, all military personnel and veterans are admitted free with proper ID.
A full schedule of events, including the livestock shows, can be found at www.bedford-fair.com/.
Huntingdon County Fair, Aug. 9-15
The Huntingdon County Fair will be held Aug. 9-15, with admission set at $5 for adults and free to children 10 and under. Parking is free. Special grandstand shows, including the demolition derby, require additional ticket purchases.
This year's fair is expected to generate a lot of attention.
"We have close to 1,000 animals on the grounds thanks to FFA, 4-H and open class entries," said Debbie Bigelow, fair board secretary.
"Fair food is always a highlight. We have a couple hundred food and merchandise vendors, some inside the building," she said, adding that the fair's "amusement rides are safe and clean."
Entertainment highlights include mini tractor pulls and Honky Tonk Twins, classic country and rockabilly music on Sunday; Richie and the High Street Rockers and a demotion derby on Monday; the Mack Berry Band on Tuesday; Wednesday will be Senior Citizens Day and Veterans Day with entertainment by Dave and Galla, Heather Olson with a tribute to Patsy Cline, an antique tractor pull and a talent show; Uptown Band featuring Erich Cawalla and a truck and tractor pull on Thursday; truck pulls and music by Make Mine Country and the Malpass Brothers on Friday; a pedal tractor pull and demolition derby and music by Celebration of the America Musical, the Big Band Sound and Chris Woodward and Shindiggin on Saturday.
The fair has events planned in conjunction with America250 as well, Bigelow said.
"We will have extra red, white and blue decorations and there will be a time capsule in the farm museum where people can write notes," she said, noting that there will be extra displays at the farm museum centered around 250 years.
"Last year's attendance was above and beyond," she said. "We expect the same if the weather holds out. ... For our area we have a lot packed on the grounds."
Grange Fair, Aug. 21-19
The 152nd Centre County Grange Fair, the only remaining tenting fair in the United States, will be held Aug. 21-29. The fair is a home-away-from-home to families in 1,000 tents and 1,500 RVs.
Daily admission is $8; parking is $7. Weekly admission and weekly parking tickets are available.
Located in Centre Hall, Grange Fair highlights include a truck pull on Friday; farm tractor pull and tractor pull on Saturday; garden tractor pull on Sunday; interstate tractor pull on Monday; Grange Fair Rodeo on Tuesday; pedal tractor pull and side by side drag racing on Wednesday; light farm tractor pull on Thursday; and two-day spectacular Atlantic Pro Pulling League National Event on Friday and Saturday.
Free concerts include Collin Raye on Friday; John Foster on Saturday; Shenandoah on Monday; Gloryway on Tuesday; Emily Ann Roberts on Wednesday; Invasion on Thursday; Leanna Crawford on Friday; and Richie and the High Street Rockers on Saturday.
A full schedule of events and information on purchasing tickets can be found at grangefair.com.
Cambria, community fairs also planned
– Admission to the Cambria County American Legion Fair, set for Sept. 6-12, is $10.
Highlights include Bull Ride Mania on Sunday; Darryl Worley and Andy Griggs on Monday; semi tractor trailer truck pull on Tuesday; quad and 4×4 drag racing on Wednesday; compact demolition derby on Thursday and large car demolition derby on Friday.
The Cambria County fair includes livestock shows as well as a fair queen and young miss contests.
More information will be posted on the fair's website at cambriacofair.com.
– Blair County is home to five smaller community fairs -- Morrisons Cove Dairy Show, Williamsburg Community Farm Show, Claysburg Farm Show, Sinking Valley Fair and Hollidaysburg Community Fair.
– The Morrisons Cove Dairy Show will be held Aug. 3-7.
"This year marks our 75th year, that is important to us. Wednesday will be the highlight of the show, the pie and ice cream festival with milk provided by Ritchey's Dairy," President Jason Bechtel said. "We have had about 165 animals the last three years registered for the show, there is potential to have more this year. We have a good quality show, a really good class of cows to be exhibited and shown. The Cove has a foundation of dairy farms, that makes the judging more complicated, we have a well run show and hope to keep the historic value."
n The Williamsburg Community Farm Show will be held Aug. 23-28.
"Attendance was up last year and we are hopeful that the attendance is up again this year," said President Jeff Walason. "We have a number of new events to get the public involved in the farm show -- Figure 8 Races, UTV pulls and Zero Turn mower rodeo."
The show will feature about 6,000 exhibits and, in conjunction with America250, some special contests are all red, white and blue-themed, Walason said.
– The 95th Claysburg Farm Show will be held Sept. 8-12 at a new location, according to Aaron Hileman, president of the Claysburg Farm Show.
"We have moved to the Greenfield Township Community Center near the school. One of our people is a teacher, (and) we hope to have students become more involved," Hileman said.
The show had been held at the former Queen grade school since the late 1990s.
Hileman said the show is best known for its craft room.
"We have a lot of talented people who make quilts and blankets," Hileman said.
He also said the show also has an antique room.
"I didn't realize how special it is, not many others do it, people find that interesting," Hileman said.
The show is planning a patriotic contest in conjunction with America250.
"People can create anything patriotic, cakes, aprons, quilts, maybe a patriotic vegetable or fruit display. Anything is eligible," Hileman said.
– The Sinking Valley Farm Show will be held Sept. 15-19.
"We will have a sexy tractor contest. People will take an 8-by-10 picture of a tractor and fix it up. The winner will get $25," said President Gary Long.
There will also be a garden tractor pulling contest on Saturday afternoon.
The "Bucket of Junk" sculpture contest -- where contestants pick up a bucket full of odds and ends and create an artful masterpiece -- was a big hit last year and is back for another year, Long said, adding "it went really well."
The farm show will include about a dozen vendors selling crafts and food, and organizers are bringing back the ham pot pie, always a big seller, he said.
In addition, the third annual chili contest will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 17. Participants must register in advance.
– The Hollidaysburg Community Fair will be held Sept. 21-24 in the sports building on the Hollidaysburg Area School District campus.
The fair has an event planned in conjunction with America250.
"Last year, people submitted 12-by-12 patriotic squares, this year the Chimney Rocks Quilting Guild is assembling them into a patriotic quilt that they will be selling to benefit the farm show. Last year we had 18 entries," Vice President Luke Helsel said.
Something new this year is an antique division with tools and household goods, Helsel said, noting the community fair doesn't have animals or food vendors.
Reporter Andy Stine contributed to this article.