Harford Fair
Encyclopedia
The Harford Fair is a fair
held in Harford Township north of Scranton in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
. It is a traditional country fair that features amusement ride
s (including a Ferris wheel
). It also includes livestock
judging, chainsaw
races, tractor pulls, draft horse
and other animal shows. It also includes two selected annual events, such as monster trucks.
Fair, Ephrata Fair
, Crawford County
Fair, and Bloomsburg Fair
.
The second fair was held on October 13, 1859 and included a plowing match.
In 1860, the The Harford Agricultural Society procured and fenced ground of N. W. Waldron for the fair to be held on. The location of the fair was moved to this land and buildings were erected with funds from subscriptions from towns people. The two buildings built during this year were one for the Ladies' Department and a long shed with a double roof with a secretary's office. This fair was the first year that admission was charged. At the annual meeting in 1863, it was decided to pay an officer for services for the first time and the recipient was the secretary receiving a salary of $5.00 a year.
was held and a large cake was created and served to commemorate the event. At the first Harford Fair, the parade consisted of 50 yoke
of oxen pulling the Fair officials through the town of Harford in wagons.
The contests for 2007 were the 150th competitive games, queen contest, tractor pull (farm and antique), flower beautification, tractor-mods & trucks, baby show, kiddy tractor pull, animal costume ball, woodsmen’s contest, horse pulling, turkey calling, garden tractor pull and a demolition derby.
The judging and contests for 2007 were school and group, art work, rabbits, 4-H
(rabbits, projects, swine, beef, goats, and sheep), poultry and pigeons, draft horses, horses-halter, goats, colored breeds (youth and open), swine, beef show, horse barrel, horse exhibitor, sheep, Holstein (youth and open dairy show), and the open horse show.
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
held in Harford Township north of Scranton in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is a traditional country fair that features amusement ride
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s (including a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
). It also includes livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
judging, chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
races, tractor pulls, draft horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
and other animal shows. It also includes two selected annual events, such as monster trucks.
General information
The fair takes place during the third full week in August every year. Anyone may purchase a plot to exhibit land or apply to get a plot for a tent to stay on the Fair grounds during the week. The Fair grounds are not used exclusively for the Fair and are maintained for spring, fall and summer. Other events that take place on the grounds are car shows, horse competitions, 4-H events, meetings and in 2007 there was a second demolition derby in addition to the one usually held during the fair.Attendance
The fair is typically well attended, although like most fairs, weather plays a factor. In 2004 the number of people to attend the fair was 65,173, and in 2005 75,176. These numbers are good relative to the population of the township (1,301), but they are lower than the AllentownAllentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
Fair, Ephrata Fair
Ephrata Fair
The Ephrata Fair is held each year in Ephrata, Lancaster County, and is the largest street fair in Pennsylvania.In 2010, the 92nd Annual fair was held on September 21 - 25, 2010.-History:...
, Crawford County
Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Crawford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 88,765.Crawford County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named for Colonel William Crawford...
Fair, and Bloomsburg Fair
Bloomsburg Fair
The Bloomsburg Fair has been held in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania since 1855 and continues to this day.-History:It was originally held as an agricultural exhibition located on the lower end of Second Street, which is now Main Street. Since then it has grown to be the largest fair in the Commonwealth of...
.
Fair beginnings
The first Fair was to be held on the grounds near the Congregational meeting house on Nov. 4, 1858. The weather was unfavorable and an adjournment was made until Nov. 9, when there was an exhibition of stock, vegetables, etc.The second fair was held on October 13, 1859 and included a plowing match.
In 1860, the The Harford Agricultural Society procured and fenced ground of N. W. Waldron for the fair to be held on. The location of the fair was moved to this land and buildings were erected with funds from subscriptions from towns people. The two buildings built during this year were one for the Ladies' Department and a long shed with a double roof with a secretary's office. This fair was the first year that admission was charged. At the annual meeting in 1863, it was decided to pay an officer for services for the first time and the recipient was the secretary receiving a salary of $5.00 a year.
The 150th Fair
The 150th Fair that took place during August 20-25, 2007. A paradeParade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
was held and a large cake was created and served to commemorate the event. At the first Harford Fair, the parade consisted of 50 yoke
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
of oxen pulling the Fair officials through the town of Harford in wagons.
The officers for the 150th Harford Fair
- President: Jeffrey Page
- 1st Vice President: Rich Carpenetti
- 2nd Vice President: Mark Pease
- Treasurer: Dale Grant
- Secretary: Denise Hubbard
- Assistant Secretary: Sue Pease
- Security: Ray Bolcavage
- Traffic: Chuck Latwinski and Brandon Bennett
- Commercial Space: Nancy Tyler
- Ticket Sales: Dorothy States
- The Directors: James K. Adams, William Beeman, Gene Hubbard, Hendrick Marr, Cindy Reynolds, Francis Supancik, David Tyler, and William Tyler.
The contests for 2007 were the 150th competitive games, queen contest, tractor pull (farm and antique), flower beautification, tractor-mods & trucks, baby show, kiddy tractor pull, animal costume ball, woodsmen’s contest, horse pulling, turkey calling, garden tractor pull and a demolition derby.
The judging and contests for 2007 were school and group, art work, rabbits, 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
(rabbits, projects, swine, beef, goats, and sheep), poultry and pigeons, draft horses, horses-halter, goats, colored breeds (youth and open), swine, beef show, horse barrel, horse exhibitor, sheep, Holstein (youth and open dairy show), and the open horse show.