Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By VAN ROSE; Times Leader Staff Writer
Sunday, September 20, 1998 Page: 1G
BLOOMSBURG- It’s the 26th largest fair in the country, but around here the
Bloomsburg Fair has another important significance.
It’s as much a sign of autumn as Penn State- or Berwick- football.
“One of the things that makes this event so special is that it is steeped
in tradition,” said Fred Trump, fair president. “It dates back several
generations.”
The very first Bloomsburg Fair was held in 1855 on 12 acres of farmland,
located near what is now the children’s carnival area. It was mostly an
exhibit of harvested grain and vegetables.
The tradition continues on Saturday, when the 144th annual Bloomsburg Fair
begins an eight-day run that concludes on Oct. 3.
Admission to the fair is $3 and parking is $3. Children 12 and under will
be admitted free. College students with ID cards with be admitted free on
Sept. 29.
Once again, agriculture will be at the forefront. Almost every homegrown
food product imaginable will be on display. Youngsters from throughout
Pennsylvania will showcase farm animals, ranging from baby rabbits to prize
steers.
A huge variety of arts and crafts will be on display, and there will be
three days of harness racing (Sept. 28-30).
The fair also will feature Reithoffer’s Carnival, the biggest midway of
games and rides in the East. Horse pulling will take place Oct. 2 and the
annual Demolition Derby will be held Oct. 3.
Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and Christian music singer Sandi Patty are
among this year’s concert headliners. Cyrus will appear on Oct. 3 at 7:30
p.m., along with The Kinleys, twin sisters who are from Philadelphia. Patty
performs on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Here is the complete grandstand concert lineup: REO Speedwagon, Saturday,
7:30 p.m.; Bryan White, Sept. 27, 1 p.m.; Sandy Patty, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.;
The Statler Brothers, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.; Sammy Kershaw with Lee Ann Womack,
Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.; Deana Carter with Kevin Sharp, Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.; The
Beach Boys, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.; Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Oct. 2, 7:30
p.m.; Billy Ray Cyrus with The Kinleys, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the grandstand concerts range from $14 to $21.
Each day, there will be entertainment on the free stage, located adjacent
to the grandstand. Scheduled performers include the U.S. Navy Band Newport,
Jolly Joe & The Bavarians, the Army Field Band, the Mahoney Brothers, and the
Pat Garrett band, featuring Suzy Dalton.
One of the fair’s historic landmarks, The Barton House, will again be open
for free tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the fair.
The Barton House, which is on the property that housed the inaugural fair
in 1855, is featuring a new twist- front-porch stories told by “Farmer John”
Moore. Moore, an actor and a retired journalist, will talk about the history
of Pennsylvania farming.
For more information, call 387-4145.