Three County Fair expected to bring four days of fun starting Friday

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday.

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday.

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday.

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Abel  Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday.

Abel Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday.

Richie Hernandez, an employee of Rockwell Amusements, sets up the Ferris wheel for the Three County Fair which starts Friday and runs through Monday. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

By ALEXA LEWIS

Staff Writer

Published: 08-28-2024 4:48 PM

NORTHAMPTON — School may be starting, but a heaping dose of summer fun is still waiting around the corner as the Three County Fair prepares to return for its 207th year on Friday.

Bringing food, fun and Ferris wheel rides to the Valley once more, the fair will provide a lineup of music, contests, agricultural exhibitions, demolition derbies and more through Labor Day on Monday.

The Three County Fair has been a beloved fixture of the western Massachusetts community since its inception in 1818, and boasts recognition by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the longest continually running fair in the country. Last year’s fair brought together more than 35,000 people over four days. With another sunny forecast this year, the fair’s new Executive Director Taylor Haas is looking forward to continuing its many traditions while improving and expanding its offerings.

“We offer tradition and accessibility,” said Haas. “This year, we have decided to branch out a little bit as far as food and music.”

New foods available this year include Venezuelan food, wood-fired pizza, and mac and cheese. New to the music lineup are Jose Gonzales and Banda Criolla. Haas also said that the ferris wheel is set to return this year after undergoing repairs last year.

The fair will also continue featuring yearly crowd favorites, such as the Wee Wee Wee Racing Pigs, Baby Barnyard, and demolition derbies. The school bus demolition derbies have long been favored community events, as local groups prepare buses in advance by getting together to give them bright, unique paint jobs.

“It’s so cool to have the community involved in painting the buses,” said Haas, who looks forward to seeing this year’s designs.

At the Baby Barnyard, fairgoers can meet farm animals up close — an opportunity that draws consistent crowds of all ages.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

Nonprofits see threat in Healey plan to implement tax deduction cap for charitable donations
Hadley nixes all-way stop at Bay Road-South Maple intersection
20-plus job cuts coming as Belchertown school board told the cupboard’s bare
6,000-pound massive shark washes up on Cape Cod
UMass to give student $10,000 after half-court shot contest controversy
Amherst man pleads guilty to child porn charges

“We find that area of the fair to be really special because for many members of our community it’s their first experience with farming and agriculture,” said Haas.

Agriculture is always one of the fair’s underlying themes, with tractor pulls, goat shows, animal exhibits, and farming showcases displaying the bounty of the region and the dedicated work that makes it possible.

From music to magic, there will also be no shortage of live performances to watch throughout the fair’s duration. For adrenaline junkies, there will be “motorcycle thrill shows” by the American Motor Drome Company, and for those who need a good laugh, Real McCoy will juggle, balance, and amaze in his comedy stunt show, and Ed Pop will infuse his comedy with mind-bending magical feats.

“I’ve heard he’s able to cut a kid in half, so that’s pretty exciting,” Haas said of Pop, noting that all children will leave the show intact.

Other popular parts of the fair such as the Draft Horse Teamsters Challenge, Parakeet Encounter, Marketplace, and Youth Dog Show will also return this year.

As always, the Midway will come alive with the multicolored lights of its many rides, games, and amusements, while local bakers vie to make the sweetest treat of them all in the King Arthur Baking Contest and Three County Fair Apple Pie Judging.

Parking for the fair is free, and kids under 11 years old get free admission. Discounted tickets can be bought online in advance of the fair at $12 for adults, $9 for seniors over 65, and $30 for a four-day pass. At the gate, tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors over 65, and $10 for veterans with the presentation of an ID. There is an additional $6 admission fee for grandstand events such as demolition derbies.

For tickets, maps, and a detailed schedule of events, visit the Three County Fair website at 3countyfair.com.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.