The Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair runs Wednesday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 27 at South County Park, 1207 Route 179, north of Lambertville, N.J.
The fair offers all sorts of activities. In addition to contests for 4-H club members, it includes many shows adults can enter. All the show details and the complete schedule are on the website, HunterdonCountyFair.com.
Farm tractor pulls are both Wednesday daytime and evening, along with a garden tractor pull Saturday morning and a pedal tractor pull for kids on Sunday. The Wednesday night show, which includes truck classes, costs $5 per spectator. All other shows and entertainment are free.
For kids ages 3-9 the Pedal Tractor Pull is Sunday afternoon, with the tractor provided. Contestants showing their pedal power are divided into classes based on weight. Registration starts 11 a.m.
Mount Airy 4-H Dairy Club is celebrating its 100th year on Thursday at the fair, with scores of former members from many states expected to take part in the festivities. It’s the oldest 4-H club in New Jersey and one of the oldest in the U.S. Highlight of the program is a comedian and dairy farmer from Florida, Tim Moffett, who will take the Main Stage to share some chuckles with his spectators.
“We’re so pleased to bring you this year’s Fair,” said President Bob Hoffman of Tewksbury Township. “Many people are involved in organizing it, including our directors and members, 4-H club members and their parents, club leaders and the 4-H staff.
“For the 4-H members, the fair is the culmination of a year’s work, giving them the chance to show the public what they’ve accomplished. Make sure to go into the various barns, buildings and tents to see their projects,” he said.
Selena Rampolla, the 2023 American Honey Queen, will visit the fair. A Florida resident, she’s a guest of the Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association and will speak to fairgoers about the importance of honeybees to Garden State agriculture.
Some food items new to the Fair include soda floats, empanadas, New York-style pizza, wood-fired pizza, six varieties of grilled cheese, crepes, Hungarian food, Mexican specialties, pork roll sandwiches, and beef and chicken cooked over a barbecue pit.
For your entertainment, The Marvelous Mutts will make their first appearance. A team of dogs adopted from shelters and rescues, they do numerous tricks and stunts, sure to amaze.
The Main Stage will offer acts, shows and presentations each day and night, organized by volunteer Dan “Doctor D” Torrone, a professional entertainer based in Clinton, N.J. He and many others involved in running the non-profit fair are former Hunterdon 4-H members.
The Happy Tappers, who are a local dance group of seniors, Lehigh Valley Cloggers and Rogers Dance Academy students will perform. Doug Berwin and the Late Night Rodeo Bank present a Tribute to Alan Jackson on Wednesday night. “Tractor Dave” Bond, a Delaware Township farmer, and his Real Country band take the stage Thursday night.
Fireworks is featured Friday night, after the Big Horse Band and the Real to Reel country band shows. Saturday evening will feature the Cramer Brothers country band, from the Pocono Mountains.
There’s free admission; parking is $15 per vehicle. The fee is shared with the volunteer fire companies whose members supervise the parking fields, and the rescue squad on scene all during the fair.
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