Carol Prater from Jackson Township, right, and Anya Atherton from Harding pose with Curly Joe and Thunderbolt, two young animals Prater has raised.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
5-day event a celebration of PA agriculture
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Kyle Evans from Party Time Petting Zoo works on the lighting at the area where he will bring ponies, goats and more, in time for the 4 p.m. Wednesday opening of the Luzerne County Fair.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
Kendell Hanson, 15, of Wapwallopen, paused from shearing Alfalfa, a Boer goat she has raised, to explain how he will be judged.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
Vendor Marilyn Shaffern was busy Tuesday setting up displays of necklaces and ear-rings that she will offer for sale at the Luzerne County Fair.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
Corn, a tomato, a pumpkin and garlic are among the vegetables brought to the Luzerne County Fair to be judged.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
A horse waits patiently in a stall at the Luzerne County Fair.
15-year-old Anya Atherton of Harding leads one of her animals back to the barn at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds after giving it a bath on Tuesday afternoon.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
“On the eighth day, God looked down on his paradise and decided he needed a caretaker. So he made a farmer.”
That adage, displayed on a sign in an exhibit hall at the Luzerne County Fair — which opens today, Sept. 4 — will likely strike a chord with many fair-goers, whether or not they’ve ever plowed a field, harvested a crop or raised an animal larger than your typical cat or dog.
While the carnival rides and bands, vendors and fair food are all valid attractions, at its heart, the Luzerne County Fair is a celebration of agriculture.
“That’s what it’s all about,” fair office manager Lori Bryant said Tuesday afternoon.
While Bryant was busy welcoming vendors all over the fairgrounds — located on Route 118 in Lehman, about 1/4 mile from Route 415 — people were getting ready for opening day.
For 4-H members Kendell Hanson from Wapwallopen and Anya Atherton from Harding, both 15, that meant grooming the animals they had raised so they’d look their best for the judges.
Kendell was using clippers on a little Boer goat named Alfalfa.
“He has to be bald,” she said, explaining that without hair the judges will be better able to see how Alfalfa is built.
For Anya, prep work meant bathing a cow named Ruby and her daughter, Phoebe.
“I’ve raised her since she was 3 months old,” Anya said of Ruby, noting she’s been milking the cow by hand, a little less each day, since Ruby’s most recent baby (not Phoebe) was weaned.
Along with cows and horses, goats, rabbits and alpacas, fair-goers also will be treated to the sight of recently harvested vegetables, each representing the best yield from a farm or garden. Pumpkins, corn, potatoes, beans and a large sunflower were among the early arrivals on Tuesday, waiting to be judged.
Among the vendors setting up early was Marilyn Shaffern, whose primary job is at M.B. Bedding in Wilkes-Barre. At fair time, she indulges her hobby of selling necklaces and earrings, some of which she has made. Nittany Lion paw prints, pumpkins, and holiday trees were just a few of the eye-catching earrings in her display.
And, yes, there will be pony rides at the fair, along with other critters to pet. Kyle Evans from Party Time Petting Zoo, based in Benton, was setting up lighting in the area where families will be welcome to interact with Nigerian dwarf goats, kune kune pigs from New Zealand and “Elliot the miniature highland cow.”
Musical acts at the fair include the Chase Who Band at 7 p.m. Wednesday; Flaxy Morgan at 6 p.m. Thursday; Idol Kings at 7 p.m. Friday; Meatloaf tribute at 7 p.m. Saturday and Tusk (Fleetwood Mac tribute) at 6 p.m. Sept. 8.
The fairgrounds open at 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $8 on opening day, $10 other days, with these exceptions: $5 for seniors on Sept. 5 and for veterans on Sept 8. There will be discounts for people who bring a non-perishable food item to donate on Sept. 6 and for first responders on Sept. 7. Admission is free every day to anyone shorter than 36 inches.
For a full schedule of the fair, which runs through Sundy, visit luzernecountyfair.com.