Summer fun and the South Mountain Fair
 go hand in hand

(8/1) Are you ready for the throttling of tractors, the smell of corn dogs and the kids screaming gleefully on the Tilt-A-Whirl? Well, buckle up, because the 93rd Annual South Mountain Fair will not disappoint! This year the fair will open on August 18 and go through August 22.

Admission for the fair is $7.00 for adults and is free for all children under 36" in height. All entertainment and amusement rides are included in the admission price and parking is provided to the public for free. Livestock exhibitions scheduled to be held during the fair include swine competitions on August 18, goat and sheep competitions on August 19, beef, calf and steer competitions on August 20, and dairy cattle competition on August 21, the annual junior livestock sale will be held on August 22.

South Mountain Fair Secretary Joanne Irvin said that many other fair favorites will return this year, including a baked goods auction on August 18 with part of the proceeds going to a local charity, a draft horse pulling contest on August 19, a fireworks display on August 20, an antique small gas engine demonstration on August 21 and 22, and a parade of antique farm equipment on August 22.

"We’ve had an unusually wet summer this year and all of us at South Mountain Fair are really hoping for a nice clear week with low humidity," said Irvin. We’ve got a really great group of volunteers who spend countless hours setting up the main exhibit building and display the hundreds of exhibits that are entered in the Fair."

According to the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, there are more than 3,200 fairs held in North America every year, but for Adams County, the only one that really matters is the Annual South Mountain Fair. The 93rd South Mountain Fair provides a chance for children to be acknowledged for their personal efforts ranging from hobby interests to animal husbandry; many local and national merchants can show off their wares, and community members from far and wide are able to come together and set aside family differences for a plate of pulled pork.

Historically the fair began in 1922 and continued each year until 1930, when it was cancelled that year because of a drought. The annual event picked up again in 1931 and continued until 1941, when it was again cancelled, this time due to a polio epidemic, then World War II, according to the SMFA. The fair was resumed in 1948 and has been held every year since then.

Plenty of entertainment has been scheduled for this year’s fair – on August 19 at 7:30 pm, a Battle of the Bands will begin; John Conlee will perform on August 21 at 7:30 p.m., and on August 22, Cheap Sneakers, a local rock band, will play at 7:00 p.m. Other competitions, activities and events are also planned. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.southmountainfair.com.