“All my life I’ve gone to the fair,” said Revloc resident Emma Kris, who submitted artwork for display in the exhibition hall and won a first-place ribbon for her entry.

Kris and her fiance, Craig Vasbinder, visited the fair earlier this week with their 2-year-old daughter, Daisy, who was having a blast with her parents.

“Seeing her enjoy the rides is just so fun,” Kris said. “It really makes everything worth it.”

Organizers of the American Legion County Fair — formerly known as the Cambria County Fair — said attendance has been up this year thanks to sunny days and warm temperatures.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Adrianna Wilkinson, 17, of Gallitzin grooms her American Legion County Fair Grand Champion 4-H Dairy Beef "Bandit" in the cattle barn on Wednesday afternoon.

The fair kicked off its usual Labor Day week run on Sunday and runs through Saturday, culminating with the youth livestock auction and a monster truck show.

Holding the livestock auction Saturday morning is a change from previous years, said Bob Harker, fair board president.

The change, he said, was made to keep the animals at the fairgrounds longer, thus giving fairgoers who attend at the end of the week a chance to see the youths’ project animals.

The auction will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, he said.

“Other fairs do it that way, so we want to try it and see how it works out,” Harker said.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Joe Strittmatter of Munster waters one of his son's entries at the American Legion County Fair in Ebensburg on Wednesday afternoon.

Attendance depends on weather

Last year, the fair board raised the admission price to $10 and nearly 38,000 people attended, organizers said. That was down from previous years, not necessarily from the price hike but due to the weather which included rain and wind.

This year was the first in almost two decades that the fair started with nice weather, Harker said, noting people are more eager to visit the fairgrounds when they don’t have to contend with rain.

On busy days, “sometimes the traffic can be backed up clear into the center of town to get in,” he said. “It all depends on the weather for the day.”

The cost of admission was raised slightly to help offset maintenance repairs to the fairgrounds buildings, said Bob Haberkorn, one of the fair’s organizers.

Even with the $2 increase, Haberkorn said the admission is well worth the cost since it includes entry to all of the grandstand events and rides. Parking at the fair is free.

“It’s really a deal here because for $10 you get to see everything for one price,” he said.

Keeping up the fairgrounds is important, organizers said.

The fair, which traces its origins to 1891, has seen its share of hardships, including foreclosure, a grandstand fire and being put up for sale. But the community always rallied together to save the treasured grounds, according to historical records.

In 1990, the American Legion Association got a break, receiving a $300,000 grant to make repairs.

Today, the fair — renamed the American Legion County Fair in 2017 — draws thousands of visitors from the surrounding counties and states.

Agriculture, food and games showcased

Beth and Joe Strittmatter, who operate a family farm in Munster, said this is the second year they’ve brought cows to the fair as sons Joseph, 11, and Jacob, 8, are 4-H members. Beth said they all enjoy talking with people about their animals and spending time together at the fair.

“I think it’s fun to educate people because a lot of people don’t know much about dairy cows or the difference between dairy and beef,” she said.

Jacqueline Watson, a senior in the Central Cambria School District, said she loves being able to share information about her animals, too. Watson has three rabbits in this year’s fair.

“For me, it’s putting smiles on people’s faces when you let them see your animals,” Watson said. “When it’s kids, I’ll demonstrate how they do the judging for them and explain why rabbits are beneficial pets.”

Making kids happy and creating smiles is the best part about his job, said Jorge Ramirez, a Knox Concessions worker who operates games at the fair.

“When we get them in, we try to get them excited,” Ramirez said. “Even if they don’t win a prize, we give them high-fives and try to make their day.”

For some, fair food is the main draw.

With hot sausage, funnel cakes, fries and more, the sky — and waistband — might be the only limits.

Ebensburg resident Brandon Mack said he looks forward to attending the fair every year to order deep-fried Oreos, while Johnstown resident Sean Jeffreys said he also likes deep-fried foods.

“I like deep-fried anything,” Jeffreys said.

The fair continues today with horse performance classes and a rabbit hopping contest. Rides open at 4:30 p.m. with the compact demolition derby set to start at 7 p.m.

Friday’s events include the rides at 4:30 p.m. with the van and V-8 demo derby at 7 p.m.

In addition to the youth livestock auction, Saturday’s events include tractor games followed by the monster truck show at 8 p.m.