Bloomsburg Fair, Bloomsburg, PA--September 23-25, 2012

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On Sunday morning, September the 23rd, we turned onto 154 south and then back to highway 220 at the community of Laporte. At the community of Beech Glen, we turned onto highway 42 and then drove straight south to the town of Bloomsburg by late afternoon. We got turned around in town and went the opposite direction to find the fairgrounds. Later realized that the tiny map was upside down from the direction we were coming from, but after asking directions we joined the mass of humanity making their way around the fenced parameter of the huge fairgrounds.

As we headed toward a parking lot, we noticed a house that had many RV's parked in the yard so we pulled into a vacant space to check on the cost to spend the night. They wanted $25 with full hook-ups. After looking at the power box, we decided we would dry camp using the propane for the refrigerator instead of chancing jerry-rigged electrical system.

Walked right across the street to an entrance and bought tickets and went inside to the 157th annual fair and knew immediately that this was some fair!!! Looked at the program and decided to first purchase the very reasonably priced tickets to see the Gaithers Vocal Band that night and Kenny Rodgers on Monday night, since it was clear we wouldn't see this 227 acre fair all in one day.

Food prices seemed very reasonable, so had lunch/dinner at the booth where a local MethodistChurch was serving several different meal platters. After that, we set out to see all we could see. The fair was extremely well done with bales of hay, mums, gourds and pumpkins, and scarecrows placed at the "street" corners.

The buildings closest to "our" gate, had livestock---cows, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, goats, and ducks that were mostly shown by 4-H kids. We walked and walked and looked and looked until it was time for the show, which we enjoyed very much. Afterwards, we were really ready to settle into Rosie for the night.

Monday was seniors day and so we got in free. We ate potato pancakes for breakfast and then sat and watched some trotters race at the grandstand at 10:00. This day we decided to work our way to the several 100X200 exhibit halls clear across to the far side of the fair. On our way we stopped by to see exhibits of some old farm machinery and went on to the display halls. These large buildings housed floral exhibits, art and crafts displays, produce including a pumpkin weighing 986 pounds, hobby displays along with vendors selling everything. Demos for food processing, flower arranging, etc. were also taking place here. Some organizations like High Schools, Granges, women's garden clubs, and 4-Hs also had booths.

We went through half of the first building when we realized we needed to eat some lunch and rest a little. We got gyros from one of the vendors and sat with many others on benches outside the halls to eat and people watch. We then finished off the horticulture buildings—one floral and one produce--and then the first aisle of the handcrafts, before we realized we had hit tilt. Walking back to Rosie on the other side of the fairgrounds, we wandered through some of the other vendors and went out the side entrance on the other side of Rosie. It was fascinating to watch 2 helicopters that flew people every two minutes over the fair and Bloomsburg. They kept up the trips until the fair closed down at 10:00.

Monday night we watched an excellent Kenny Rodgers concert. At 70+ he was funny, personable, and his voice was still right there. He talked a bit about his new book and his 8 year old twin boys. His "warm-up” band was Savannah Jack and we enjoyed them also. It was a good solid 2 and 1/2 hour concert. After the concert we wandered through the closing booths, and then just crossed the street to Rosie. No fighting traffic---it was great!!!

Tuesday, at the Fair, was another day of the same. We finished off the rest of the handicrafts, industrial arts, and educational buildings, and had lunch while watching a fiddle contest on a small stage.

Next we went back in the far corner of the grounds where the home and gardens of the family responsible for the start of the Fair sat. In 1855, Mr. Barton and 4 other men organized the fair to show off the fall harvest. We toured the old home, old one-room school, and a building housing old agriculture and industrial implements like plows, grain harvesters, printing presses, delivery trucks, etc. Then we visited the sheep and goat barns and watched several rounds of judging.

For dinner, we picked a soul food place to eat and sat and watched some very interesting free entertainment on that same stage. One was a young, 13 year old singer named Eva Katherine who we were so taken by that we purchased her CD. Her personality, poise, and voice belied her age.

General Recap

In all we spent 2 1/2 days seeing this Fair and never set foot on the Midway at all. It was truly an old fashioned fair in the best sense. It reminded us of the many years we went to the Santa Clara County Fair in California when we were growing up---Dad submitting his avocados and chickens, Valerie her rabbits, Christina her cranberry bread to be judged.

For meals we had our choice of buying from an estimated 1,500 food stands (no lie!). Hundreds of food items are hawked, from the traditional (pierogies, cheese steaks, hot sausage sandwiches, and pizza) to the not-so-traditional (Greek food, Thai food, and pumpkin-flavored funnel cakes). The Fair also featured almost anything you can imagine deep fried (French fries, donuts, funnel cakes, pickles, Snickers, jelly beans, Oreos, and cheesecake to name a few).

There were also some tried-and-true carnival food – like saltwater taffy, caramel corn, candy apples, and roasted peanuts. Several booths were making apple dumplings on site which was interesting to watch. There was even a large fresh baked goods booth staffed by young Mennonite girls. Various carnival games and vendors selling all kinds of items were interspersed with the food stalls. This variety added to the general atmosphere as you walked along all the aisles.

We left early Wednesday smiling and a little foot weary, but a good time was had by all!

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