Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Luzerne County Fair promises a good time to all
Goats are some of the livestock city folk will get to visit at the Luzerne County Fair.
Times leader file photo/Aimee Dilger
Remember that song about being a little bit country or a little bit rock ’n’ roll? That describes the Luzerne County Fair, where musical acts encompass everything from songs of the ’80s to polkas to that heartfelt “Love Me Tender” genre.
Yes, Luzerne County has the fair with an Elvis tribute artist. And a Tom Jones tribute artist.
It’s also the one with a “Scare at the Fair” walk-through display, designed to build enthusiasm for the Broken Hearts Asylum haunted house.
And it’s the one that can boast how last year’s fair queen, Nicole Clemson, went on to become Pennsylvania’s State Fair Queen.
The young queen is an aspiring veterinarian, which brings to mind all the animals you’ll see if you visit the Luzerne County Fair, which opens Wednesday and continues through Sept. 13. You’ll find pigs that race, dogs that show off their agility and – even though this fair’s 47-acre grounds are a scant 10 miles from citified Wilkes-Barre – there will be such larger livestock as sheep, goats, cows and horses.
“The 4-H kids at the barn enjoy talking about their animals,” spokeswoman Brenda Pugh said. So this fair, like most county fairs, is a good chance to learn about farm life, where food comes from, and the like.
The animal acts might not have the rootin’ tootin’ old West feel of the Wyoming County Fair, where rodeo riders are scheduled to show their skills. But, here at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds along Route 118 in Lehman Township, English-style riders will show their horse’s strength and agility by jumping over fences.
There are amusement rides for children, games of skill and, of course, food, food, food from gyros to apple dumplings to fried pickles.
Dozens upon dozens of contests are a popular part of the fair, and city dwellers are just as welcome as farmers to show off the brussels sprouts from their gardens, the brownies from their kitchen or the artwork they’ve created.
Speaking of the lively arts, the bandstand entertainment is included in the price of the $8 admission ticket at the Luzerne County Fair, Pugh said, as are the amusement rides and the haunted house.
The musical acts were selected to cover a broad range of tastes, she said, predicting that many audience members will get up and dance. “People seem to appreciate the bands. They’re local acts that they recognize.”
And, there’s also a “barnyard olympics,” in which you’re welcome to try your hands at hay-bale tossing, wheelbarrow racing and other outdoorsy fun.
If you go
If you go
What: Luzerne County Fair
When: Wednesday through Sept. 13
Where: Luzerne County Fairgrounds along Route 118 in Lehman Township
Admission: $8
M80, covering hits of the ’80s: 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday
3rd Degree, rock ’n’ roll from ’50s to today: 7 p.m. Thursday
Sug’r Bear, country music: 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sept. 11
Bat out of Hell, Meatloaf tribute band: 3 p.m. Sept. 12
$2,500 Mini-Prix Horse-jumping competition: 7 p.m. Sept. 12
Tom Jones tribute artist: 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sept. 12
Elvis tribute artist: 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 12
Joe Stanky and the Cadets, polka, country and more: 2 p.m. Sept. 13
Barnyard Olympics: 3 p.m. Sept. 13
Tractor Obstacle Race: 5 p.m. Sept. 13
The Star Fires with Eddie Day, decades-spanning music: 6 p.m. Sept. 13
Fireworks finale: 9 p.m. Sept. 13