Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Country Scenes and Blue Ribbon Dreams at the 34th Annual Schuylkill County Fair

The 34th Annual Schuylkill County Fair will soon be here before you know it. 

It is less than a month away. The Schuylkill County Fairgrounds located at 2270 Fair Road, Schuylkill Haven, PA will be in operation during the week of July 31st through August 5th. 

Public hours of operation are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday opening at 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Saturday opening at 11 a.m. 

The theme of this year’s Fair is “Country Scenes – Blue Ribbon Dreams”.

Schuylkill County Fair will have a gate admission of $5 again this year making the Fair affordable to all. That five dollars includes: national entertainment on the M&T Stage, games, contests, exhibits, competitions, programs, demonstrations, hands on activities, and free parking. Gate admission price for kids 12 and under are free.

Returning to the six-day fair will be Goodtime Amusements LLC of Hellertown. They are a family run business, which provides amusement services to various non-profit organizations. Operating solely in the eastern portion of Pennsylvania. Goodtime provides their sponsors with up to 20 rides along with 15 food and game concessions. Ride bands to ride the rides will be available at a $15.00 charge to ride all day Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Tuesday and Saturday ride bands will be $20.00 for all day with $10.00 for a 1-5PM ride special.

Please do note that the gate admission does not include food, beverages, and carnival games. With the affordable to all $5.00 admission, the objective is to save money for families with children. Private attractions are not included in with admission price like petting zoo, and truck pulls.

That five dollars will get you lots of good nightly entertainment on the M&T Stage. Monday on the M& T Bank Stage will feature Diaspora bringing the sounds of the oldies and classic rock at 7 & 9 PM. Diaspora is sponsored by J. C. Hill Tree Farm. The royal crowning of the fair queen will also be on this stage between performances and scheduled to go off at 8PM. A Special performance at 5:30 of the Rehrig Brothers on Tuesday will be sponsored by Red Lion Café. Tuesday at 7 & 9 PM the stage will be humming with the classic country sounds of Reckless. Reckless is sponsored by Hidden River Credit Union and Richard B. Ryon Insurance. Wednesday at 7 & 9 PM Crazy Hearts out of the Lehigh Valley will rock the stage with country, a new attitude. Red Lion Café is sponsoring Crazy Hearts. Thursday at 7 & 9 PM Elvis returns, performed by Shawn Klush on the M & T Bank Stage. Sawn Klush is sponsored by Comfort Inn, Midway and Fidler Brothers construction, Inc. Fridayevening on the main stage it is all about Parmalee with Jesse Wade as the special guest performer. Friday evening’s entertainment is sponsored by Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson/ Motor Sports. Saturday on the M & T Stage will be the Mahoney Brothers Presents two different shows. At 7 Pm the Mahoney Brothers Presents: “Juke Box Heroes Live.”. Then at 9PM the Mahoney Brothers Present: “Long Live the Beatles.” Schuylkill Visitors Bureau and Pioneer Pole Buildings are sponsoring the evening performance.

Daily special attractions at the agricultural fair include Muttville Comix (amphitheater) at 6 & 8 PM. Tuesday at 2PM and Saturday 4 PM are additional performance times. Muttville Comix is a comedy dog act and much more. New this year as we continue to facilitate blue ribbon dreams, Peggy Hentz of Red Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will be under the Weston Pavilion at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 PM the entire week of fair week engaging all about the animals that she rehabilitates. Schuylkill Talent Showcase on the Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson/Motor Sports Stage will be filled with different artists at 5:30 & & 6:30 daily. Those artist to be performing are: Mon. & Thur. The Magic of Tom Yurasits Tue. Artist in Motion (www.artistinmotionpa.com); Wed. Wagstaff and Company; Fri. & Sat. Tamara Wapinsky Studio

(www.wapinskyvoicelessons.com).

Porcupine Pat can be found in the Shadle Nature Center sponsored by Schuylkill County Conservation District, Monday thru Friday at 5 PM; Tuesday at 1 PM, and Saturday at 4 PM. Farming for a Day (Ag-Tainment sponsored by the Dunn Family is a daily attraction. The Kids Tent will be in operation daily with natural and agricultural science based crafts operated by The Arts Barn Education Center. Chain saw artist Todd Gladfelter (upper midway). Learn to tie flies with Trout Unlimited in the Sportsman Building daily at 6:30. Walk along with the tractors in the Tractor Parade 4:30 daily. These and so many more engaging activities and entertainment can be found throughout the fairgrounds.

One of the areas the Fair that were country scenes meet up with blue ribbon dreams are at the Fair’s Track events. Constant maintains and upgrading of the track surface and area around the track support the Truck Pulling Sports. You wouldn’t want to miss their truck pulls at the Ag Museum and track area. This is a separate admission charge of $5.00. Monday local guys have the opportunity to pull with both Diesel and Gas engines. Truck Pulls on Tuesday will feature Lucas Oil / East Coast National Pull, LLC; 466 Hot Farm Tractors; Limited Pro Stock Semi's; Modified Tractors; East Coast Diesel - Pro Stock Diesel FWD Trucks. Weigh-in at 4 p.m. and pulls start at 7 p.m for both days. The Antique Tractor Pull will be on Saturday, August 6 at 1 p.m. with registration for the tractor pulls starting at 11 AM. Pulling is not limited to the semi-professionals as on Wednesday evening local celebrities will take the track in ever popular Celebrity Tractor Pull. . The widening of the track allows for the Side by Side Dirt Drag Racing that is also slated for Wednesday evening. You don’t want to blink your eyes because these trucks go so fast that if you do blink you will miss them speeding towards the finish line. In a short number of years the track has grown from a one event venue to a 4 day operational venue exciting Fair goer’s.

Kid’s arts and crafts are growing with the partnership between the Fair and The Arts Barn. The Arts Barn Education Center will encouraging kids to make agricultural and nature science related crafts in the kid’s tent daily. The Arts Barn Education Center will continue with the program started last were young persons can participate in and see how they grow from year to year. All children are being asked to trace their hand on a large plastic banner. Then when the child returns to the Fair in subsequent years, they are asked to re-trace their hand again and again to see how they have grown over the years.

There are a number of cooking contests to enter this year as the Fair continues to provide more and more blue ribbon dreams. Boilo, ethnic cooking contest, cooking with wine and Schuylkill Grown being popular contest to repeat themselves again this year. Prizes awards will be given for first, second and third prize. For complete rules, and more information on the numerous food contests call 570-527-0294 or email schuylkillfair@gmail.com . You can also find more information about these contests on our web site at www.schuylkillfair.com/exhibits/ under the info tab at exhibits.

See competitive exhibits of handiwork, produce, and animals (sheep, pigs, steers, goats, and rabbits). There have been a number of new competitive exhibit class added to the premium book this year. If you are handy or creatively inclined then look in the fair premium book. For the youth we have grown to include book marks, placemats

and a coloring page found in the premium book to be entered in the fair. There are a number of new varieties of peaches, nectarines and grapes growing for exhibit. Into growing flowers and arranging them artistically, then you might want to look at the Artistic Arrangement. Artistic Arrangement exhibits focus on a theme that changes from year to year. Check out this year’s theme by visiting our website at www.chuylkillfair.com Want to recycle or upcycle something into something wearable or useful then there are classes for that. There are class for Jazzy Jar and Duct Tape. The traditional baking contest can be found at their year’s fair like the PA Preferred Chocolate Cake for the adults and then the bars or cookies for the youth. There is the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie contest as well as the Incredible Angel Food Cake Contest. Christmas trees were brought back as a competitive exhibit. We are hoping for more participation this year as Schuylkill County is the number one producer of Christmas trees in the state. Into craft brewing your own brew then consider the classes found in the appropriately numbered Dept. 21 for wine and beer exhibits. Creatively inclined then look at the Quilt Block class. From greeting cards to honey combs the Schuylkill County Fair has almost every class imaginable. So you will want to check out the fair’s premium book for all the competitive exhibits. If you would like a Premium Book please download it at www.schuylkillfair.com

There will be lots of fair foods, games, programs, activities, contests, commercial exhibits, plus so much more! Why? Because “we are a big country scene with all of your blue ribbon dreams” at the Schuylkill County Fair. Come see our beautiful country scene where blue ribbon dreams come true.

No pets or coolers allowed on the fairgrounds. Please also note that there are designated smoking areas. Shirts and shoes are required.

Directions to Schuylkill County Fair: just 40 minutes from Harrisburg or Allentown; nestled in the Blue Mountains; from I-78 Exit 19, Rt. 183 North to Rt. 895 East – 1.5 miles to fair; or from I-81 North Exit 124A, Rt. 61 South of Rt. 183 South to Rt. 895 East; or from Rt. 309 to Rt. 895 West to Auburn – 7 miles to fair. For a GPS put in: 2270 Fair Road, Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972

For additional general information on the 34th annual Schuylkill County Fair please visit the Fair’s website at www.schuylkillfair.com or email schuylkillfair@gmail.com call 570-739-2627 or week of fair call 570-754-3247. In addition to their website you may use Facebook, Twitter.

Mark your calendar for the 34th annual Schuylkill County Fair, July 31st thru August 5th where we have a “beautiful country scene were all your blue ribbon dreams come true.” Bring the whole family!