Greene County Fair primed for return to normalcy
Picturesque views of the Greene County Fair such as this nighttime shot of the midway will be able to be seen in August, as the county fair board has announced that the 2021 fair will return as a weeklong, in-person event.
The Greene County Fair Board has announced that the Market Steer and Lamb Show and Sale, along with a wide array of activities that are traditionally held during the annual fair, will take place throughout the week-long, in-person event. This year’s fair will be held Aug. 8-15.
Hard Core Derby Promotions will once again present the demolition derby, known as “Chaos in Coal Country,” at this year’s Greene County Fair in August. The derby will be one of many traditional activities that will be held as the fair returns to a week-long, in-person event.
After a year of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is one thing area residents can count on in 2021 – the return of the weeklong Greene County Fair.
The county fair, which has been a local attraction since 1867, was mostly shut down last year because of the coronavirus. Even though the Greene County Fair Board was able to hold a few events during what would have been fair week, the restrictions and safety guidelines issued by Gov. Tom Wolf and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prohibited the traditional weeklong festivities from being held at the fairgrounds.
However, in just a matter of weeks local residents will be able to visit the grounds and enjoy a hot sausage sandwich, a fun carnival ride, watch cars gets smashed and even buy a steer.
This year’s fair is scheduled to be held at the fairgrounds from Aug. 8 through Aug. 14. Debbie Stephenson, fair board secretary/treasurer, said everyone affiliated with the fair is excited to see the popular event return.
“The fair board, vendors, sponsors, 4-H kids, we all can’t wait for the fair to come back in August,” she said. “The fair’s return to being an in-person event will hopefully provide everyone with a sense of normalcy. It will be great to see this traditional event back at the fairgrounds.”
The board was informed in the spring by the state fair board it would be permitted to return to a normal schedule, with the caveat all safety protocols would be followed.
“We absolutely recognize that the health, safety and well-being of everyone is the most important priority, and we will proceed with caution and adhere to any and all regulations,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson said the 4-H participants, who show and sell their market lambs and steers each year, will be excited to see the fair return.
“After such a difficult year of isolation, we know they’re going to be ready for the fair,” she said. “When we held the show and sale last year, the kids acted like it was Christmas. They were so happy to be with friends, feeling normal. We are really excited for them this year.”
Stephenson said she believes the fairgrounds should be very busy during the week of the 2021 fair.
“Between the excitement to escape from the isolation from COVID-19 and the fact that last year’s fair was mostly nonexistent, we think a lot of people will be coming to the fair this year,” she said. “People weren’t able to do much for a long time thanks to the pandemic. They’re going to be ready to have a great time here.”
The 2021 fair will feature the theme of “Making Memories … One Fair at a Time,” and once again offer a wide array of activities, musical performances, exhibits, shows and sales, horse racing and shows, amusement rides, food vendors, truck and tractor pulls, the traditional demolition derby, and ATV drag racing.
“It takes so many different elements to make the fair great, and our fair will have all those elements, not to mention the support from our sponsors, volunteers and the county commissioners,” Stephenson said.
Stephenson said many of the vendors who were contracted for the 2020 event agreed to “roll over” their contracts for this year.
“It really helped us with the planning,” she said.
Gates will be open from 3 to 11 p.m. Admission will be $10 per person, and everyone coming through the gates must have a ticket. The admission fee includes parking, rides, entertainment and visiting the animals.
Military veterans and seniors ages 65 and older with valid ID will be admitted free Aug. 12.
Carnival rides, once again operated by Tropical Amusements, will be running from 5 to 11 p.m. daily starting Aug. 9.
The Greene County Fair Queen contest will also return beginning at 6:30 p.m. SAug. 7 at the fairgrounds’ lower block building. Completed applications by candidates must be received by July 7. Eligibility and competition requirements may be found on the fair’s website, www.greenecountyfair.org.
For more information about this year’s Greene County Fair Queen contest, call Melody Longstreth at 724-998-2386.
For more information about the 2021 Greene County Fair, visit www.greenecountyfair.org and the fair’s Facebook page. For vendor space inquiries, call Larry Marshall, fair manager, at 724-852-2175.