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The county fairs offer great summertime fun for the whole family
By Clare Marie Celano
After months of braving the cold weather, shoveling snow and staying indoors, families are more than ready to spend some quality time together out in the warm weather.
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County fairs offer endless opportunities for families to enjoy exciting, interesting, fun activities, and at affordable prices. The fairs offer a myriad of events and activities, including all-day entertainment, arts and craft shows, 4-H activities, animal shows and much more.
The Middlesex County Fair will be held at the county fairgrounds on Cranbury Road in East Brunswick.
The weeklong event begins Aug. 3 and continues through Aug. 9, with daily entertainment appearing throughout the fairgrounds. Admission for adults is $6, children ages 3-12 are $1, children 2 and under are free, and seniors 65 and over are $4.
Fair hours are as follows: Aug. 3- 7, 5-11 p.m.; Aug. 8, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Aug. 9, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The fair kicks off with a parade walk around the fair. Opening ceremonies include presentation of awards for the Farmer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. Also on tap are the King and Queen and Prince and Princess Contests. There will be fireworks on the evening of opening day.
A talent show is on tap for Aug. 8, along with a Kids Day, 12:30-2 p.m.
This fair also features 4-H events all week long, including dog, cat and horse shows and animal grooming competitions.
Entertainment at the fair will include the Victoria Circus throughout the week; AgriCadabra, which is magic using agriculture; and Scheer's Lumberjack Show.
For more information about the Middlesex County Fair, visit www.middlesexcountyfair.org.
The 35th annual Monmouth County Fair will be held at East Freehold Park on Kozloski Road in Freehold Township July 22-26. Opening-night fireworks on July 22 at 9:15 p.m. will kick off the week's festivities.
Fair hours are as follows: July 22 and July 23 from 5 to 11 p.m., July 24 from 5 to 11 p.m., July 25 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and July 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $7; children 12 and under are admitted free. Free parking is available.
Those with crafty talents and baking abilities will enjoy the Home and Garden Competition and Exhibits, which feature baked goods, honey, needlepoint, quilts, flowers, vegetables, artwork and crafts.
Shutterbugs can snap photos of scenery in Monmouth County and enter their work in the Amateur Photography Competition. This year's theme, "Scenic Images of Monmouth County," will accept current photos —black and white, hand-tinted and color as well as computer-generated art. Contestants should bring their work to the showgrounds on July 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or July 20 from 9 a.m. to noon.
If arts and crafts are your forté, here is your opportunity to shine in the fair's arts and crafts competition. Entries are accepted July 19 from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m. and July 20 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Home and Garden Competition and Exhibit features a Gardeners' Day on July 24, (entries accepted 8-11 a.m.), a Bakers' Day on July 25, (entries accepted 8-11 a.m.), a Children's Day on July 25 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and a Senior Citizens Day on July 26 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Visitors to the fair will enjoy animal shows and exhibits presented by the 4-H, and youngsters will love the rides and amusements on tap just for them. The fair will host kids' races, a barbecue competition, lumberjack shows, racing pigs and circus night.
For more information about the Monmouth County Fair, visit www.monmouthcountyparks.com.
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