Tag: Carnival

August welcomes the fair season. We’ve compiled a list of 33 fairs — and a few festivals — big and small, near and some really big ones a few hours away. There’s a least one within an easy drive every weekend through mid-October. We can smell the French fries and hear the cows mooing already!

AUGUST

July 31-Aug. 5
34st Annual Schuylkill County Fair
schuylkillfair.com
Schuylkill County Fairgrounds located at 2270 Fair Road, Schuylkill Haven
Mon., Wed., Thurs., Fri., 4-11 p.m.; Tues. & Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Admission: $5 ages 13 and up; ages 12 and under are free
Carnival rides; entertainment, games, contests, animal exhibits, competitions, demonstrations, truck and tractor pulls. Plus lots of great food for purchase. Free parking.

Aug. 1-5
95^th Annual South Mountain Fair
southmountainfair.com
South Mountain Fairgrounds, 615 Narrows Road, Arendtsville
Tues.-Fri. 4-10 p.m., Sat. 1-10 p.m.
Admission: $7, children under 36” tall are free
Unlimited carnival rides are included in the admission price, along with other fair attractions including live concerts each night.

Aug. 3-5
Penn Twp. Fireman’s Fair
www.penntownshipfire.com
Penn Twp. Fire Company, 1750 Pine Road, Newville
5-10 p.m. each day
An annual tradition that’s been around for more than half a century, this fair features children’s rides, ice cream-eating contests, homemade soups, bingo and much more. Plus a free fireworks show Saturday night.

Aug. 5-6
Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, Children’s Fantasy Weekend
parenfaire.com
Mount Hope Estate, Manheim
11 a.m.-8 p.m. Admission: FREE for kids ages 11 and younger this weekend only. Regular admission: $30.95 at gate, $25.95 online in advance; children ages 5-11, $11.95, ages 4 and under, free.
Not a typical “fair,” but because it has the name in its title, we’ll include it. And its opening weekend features free admission for kids ages 11 and younger, plus a special treasure hunt and other activities in addition to the usual Faire events. The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire runs every weekend through Oct. 29.

Aug. 6-12
Reading Fair
thereadingfair.org
The Reading Fairgrounds, 1216 Hilltop Road, Leesport
Sun. 1-8 p.m., Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 4-10 p.m., Wed. & Sat. 1-10 p.m.
Admission: $15 per person; kids under 36” tall are free. See website for special discount days
Featuring rides, knockerball, entertainment — including high-flying aerial acts, races, games, agricultural exhibits, farm animals and great Pennsylvania Dutch food. Plus helicopter rides available all week long and fireworks on Sat. at 9 p.m.

Aug. 7-12
Mifflin County Youth Fair
mcyouthfair.com
Youth Park, West Logan St., Reedsville
Hours and admission: please see website
Carnival rides, concession stands, an archery contest and some watermelon smashing, live entertainment and lots of animals—what more could you want in a county fair?

Aug. 9-12
Fireman’s Fair
citizensfire36.org
Citizens Fire Co., 100 Chestnut St., Mt. Holly Springs
4:30 p.m. each day
Each evening they’ll have musical entertainment, games and food.

Aug. 12
41st Annual Red Lion Street Fair
rlaba.com
Downtown Red Lion
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Arts and crafts, bounce houses, entertainers and yes, plenty of food vendors fill the streets of downtown Red Lion.

Aug. 13-19
Fulton County Fair
fultoncountypafair.com
Fulton County Fairgrounds, Lincoln Way East, McConnellsburg
Hours vary each day; see website
Admission: Varies by day; please see website
Pretty much everything you’d want in a county fair: midway rides; livestock exhibitions and competitions; a horse show; tractor pulls; drag racing; live music and entertainment; lots of great food; and so much more. Plus, on Friday, a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. Please see website for weeklong schedule of events.

Aug. 14-19
Kutztown Fair
kutztownfairgrounds.com
Kutztown Fairgrounds, 450 Wentz St., Kutztown
Admission: $10 for ages 18 months and up; parking is $2.
Included with the admission is ALL carnival rides as well as all stage, midway shows and grandstand shows, livestock exhibits and other fair attractions other than food and crafts and Wednesday night Grandstand racing ($8). Note: Don’t confuse this fair with the huge Kutztown Folk Festival held in July.

Aug. 15-19
Perry County Community Fair
pecofair.org
Perry County Fairgrounds, 248 Fairground Road, Newport
Tues.-Fri. gates open at 4 p.m.; Sat. gates open at 8 a.m.
Admission: Free, parking costs $5
Amusement rides open nightly at 6 p.m. and on Sat. at 4 p.m. Of special note: Wed. night is PinnacleHealth Night, when attendees can park for free and even better, enjoy rides for free all night long!

Aug. 18-26
Westmoreland Fair
westmorelandfair.com
123 Blue Ribbon Lane, Greensburg
Fri., Aug. 18. 4-11 p.m.; Aug. 19-26, 10 am.-11 p.m.
Admission: $7; $3 before 2 p.m. (not valid Aug. 26)
Rides, monster truck races, tractor pulls, demolition derbies (all separate admission) and much more at this large county fair. It’s a few hours from Central Pennsylvania, but if you’re in the area, check out Hannah’s Town, too.

Aug. 19-20
Mt. Gretna Outdoor Art Show
mtgretnaarts.com
Mt. Gretna
Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $12 ages 12 and older; 2-day pass, $18; ages 11 and under free.
In addition to seeing great art on display in a wide variety of media at this major, national art event, this has a ‘fair-like’ feel with plenty of entertainment for the whole family, including strolling performers, live music and a food court. There will also be a Kid’s Art Show each day from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. that includes make-and-take art activities, face painting, balloon animals and more.

Aug. 21-26
40th Elizabethtown Fair
etownfair.com
900 block of East High Street, Elizabethtown
Mon. 5-11 p.m., Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
A petting zoo, free nightly entertainment including live music, exotic pet encounters, a juggling act, a hypnotist, rides and lots of great food.

Aug. 26
Shippensburg Corn Festival
shippensburgcornfestival.net
Downtown Shippensburg
8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: FREE
This annual festival includes more than 250 craft and antique vendors, performances and every type of corn you can imagine.

Aug. 29  – Sept. 4
The Great Allentown Fair
allentownfair.com
Allentown Fairgrounds, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown
Aug. 29, 4-11 p.m., Aug. 30-Sept. 3, 12-11 p.m., Sept. 4, 12-10 p.m.
Admission: $3 Aug. 29 ($1 with a food donation); regular admission $8, kids 12 and under FREE. Onsite parking, $10.
Big fun for the whole family. Tons of rides, games, food, animals, shows—from magic shows and Olympic diving to tractor pulls and more. Plus huge nightly concerts (separate tickets required): Thomas Rhett on Tues., John Mellencamp on Thurs., Rascal Flatts on Fri. and Pentatonix on Sat.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 2-4
“Kipona” Labor Day Celebration
harrisburgpa.gov/kipona2016
Downtown Harrisburg Riverfront Park, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg
11 a.m.-8 p.m. each day
It’s expected to attract upwards of 50,000 to the Riverfront. Featuring the Festival of India, a Native American Pow Wow, canoe races, fireworks and more.

Sept. 2-9
163^rd Juniata County Fair
juniatacountyfair.com
Juniata Fairgrounds, 302 6th St., Port Royal
Free admission for kids 18 and younger.
Midway rides, entertainment, 4-H and livestock, great food and much more. Plus a kids’ power wheels demolition derby on Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. Visit website for hours and complete schedule.

Sept. 8-17
York Fair
yorkfair.org
York Fairgrounds, 334 Carlisle Ave., York
Gates open at 11 a.m. Fri.-Sun., and noon Mon.-Thurs.
Admission: $8 for adults; $4 for ages 6-18, FREE for children ages 5 and younger. See website for special bargain days. Parking $7.
Midway rides, great entertainment all week long including aerial high-wire acts, Bengal tiger shows, a prehistoric encounter, train and tractor shows, and much more. Also featuring some big names in entertainment (separate admission): Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the cable Guy on Sept. 9, Lynyrd Skynyrd on Sept. 14, and Thomas Rhett on Sept. 15.

Sept. 12-16
Denver Fair
thedenverfair.com
Denver Memorial Park, Main St., Denver
Admission: FREE; parking $5
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri. & Sat. Midway rides open later.
Delicious food, carnival rides, agricultural exhibits and a swine show are among the many attractions of this country fair.

Sept. 16
Central Penn Parent Family Festival
familyfavoritesfestival.com
Cousler Park, Manchester Township, York
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Our very own Central Penn Parent event! We’ll have live music and stage performances, a petting zoo and pony rides, Atomic bounce houses, a storytime corner, and lots of exhibitors with child-friendly activities. Food vendors, plus a costume parade and stuffed animal “check-ups.” We hope to see you there!

Sept. 16-17
Fall Harvest Fair
hsimuseum.org/events
Alexander Schaeffer Farm, 213 S. Carpenter St., Shaefferstown
Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Admission: $5, children ages 12 and under are free.
Step back in time to the 1800s. Learn how to make apple cider and apple butter and enjoy Pennsylvania German food and crafts.

Sept. 17-23
Gratz Fair
gratzfair.net
Gratz Fairgrounds, Route 25, Gratz
Sun. & Mon., 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Tues.- Thurs. & Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Admission: $8 ages 2 and older; free parking
Rides, livestock, harness racing, amazing demolition derby races, live entertainment, food and much more.

Sept. 20-22
The 68^th Solanco Fair
solancofair.com
172 S. Lime St., Quarryville
9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Antique tractor pull, pedal tractor pull, livestock exhibits, homemade food and more. Plus the annual opening parade Wed. night at 6:15 p.m. and the baby parade the next evening. See website for locations and more details.

Sept. 21-23
Oley Valley Community Fair
oleyfair.org
Oley Fire Co. Fairgrounds, 26 Jefferson St., Oley
Thurs. & Fri. 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Free admission; parking: $5
Rides, livestock, various contests, tractor pulls, entertainment and tons of great food.

Sept. 23-30
The 162^nd Bloomsburg Fair
bloomsburgfair.com
620 W. Third St., Bloomsburg
Admission: $8, children 12 and under are FREE
Nearly 400,000 attended this amazing fair last year. It’s huge—it even has a ski lift-type ride to take you from the kiddie section to the bigger, midway rides. With aerial acrobatics, a live tiger show, livestock and a demolition derby; plus big-name shows at the grandstand (tickets required).

Sept. 26-30
99th Annual Ephrata Fair
ephratafair.org
Downtown & Grater Memorial Park, Ephrata
Tues. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Wed.-Sat., 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Admission: FREE
Main and State Streets close to make way for rides and tons of food stands for what’s billed as the state’s largest street fair.

Sept. 27-29
West Lampeter Community Fair
westlampeterfair.com
1520 Mentzer Road, Lancaster
Admission: FREE
Tractor parades, pig races, horse shows, tractor games, calf roping, livestock sale and more. Plus great food.

Sept. 30
32^nd Annual New Cumberland Apple Festival
applefestivalnewcumberlandpa.com
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Admission: FREE
New Cumberland Borough Park, Front and Bridge Streets, New Cumberland
OK, it’s a festival, not a fair, but it’s fun and celebrates a great fruit harvest. Check out the homemade crafts, delicious food, the apple pie contest, entertainment and more.

 

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