It's time again to celebrate the agricultural bounty of the area at the Schuylkill County Fair.
Before the fair officially begins July 30 at the fairgrounds in Summit Station, a Mini-Carnival Night will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Fairlane Village mall, Pottsville.
The theme for this year's fair, which runs through Aug. 4, is "Helping Pennsylvania 4-H Celebrate 100 years."
The fair celebrates the heritage of the community as a whole, but also showcases the business, talent and technology of Schuylkill County.
Opening day will see the traditional crowning of the fair royalty.
Kate E. Kline, fair royalty adviser and 2005 fair queen, said competition this year will be interesting.
"We had a good turnout for contestants and it looks like a good mix in each category," she said.
Kline also said she will hand over the adviser role to her assistant, Jacki Hoffman, after this year.
"Monday is the speeches/on-stage interviews portion at the fairgrounds' Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson stage inside the midway beginning at 3 p.m. Coronation will then take place at 5 p.m.," she said.
Big-name music is always a fair staple with The Fabulous Greaseband performing at 7 and 9 p.m. July 30, the Twitty Fever Band on July 31 and Reckless on Aug. 1.
The featured performer on Aug. 2 will be Glen Templeton, with one show at 8:30 p.m. preceded by the Fat Cats at 7 p.m. Country star Jason Michael Carroll will go on at 9 p.m. Aug. 3, after a day filled with country music performances.
On Aug. 4, Homecoming Day, Vocal Trash will perform their eclectic song, dance and comedy shows at 7 and 9 p.m. ,with the Schuylkill County Idols taking center stage at 8 p.m. as guest performers.
The headliners are not the only musical attractions. Several musicians, including folk singer Ray Owen, will perform throughout the fair to ensure constant music. Other performers will put on shows regularly, including the thrilling antics of the Star Family Circus and the intriguing work of magician Tom Yurastis.
A large part of the traditional weeklong attractions is, of course, the multitude of competitions for best agriculture and livestock. Related traditional activities, like a cattle clipping contest on July 31 and an obstacle course for alpacas, llamas, goats and lambs on Aug. 1, will maintain and enhance that flavor.
Special exhibits and events will punctuate the days, including a cooking contest every day, truck and tractor pulls, children's activities and, of course, rides.
A new attraction this year will be the Pennsylvania Civil War 150 Road Show, which Paul Kennedy, fair president, called "Pennsylvania Civil War history brought to your doorstep."
"It's going to be a central attraction," Kennedy said, noting that the exhibit will be one of the first placed, occupying a space just off the midway. "It will be smack-dab in the middle of the fair."
As always, there will be special themed days during fair week: Family Day on Monday, Kids' Day on Tuesday, Happy Birthday Fair Day on Wednesday, Dairy Day on Thursday, Country Day on Friday and Homecoming Day on Saturday.
The fair opens at 4 p.m. each day except Wednesday and Saturday, when opening times are 1 p.m. On Kids' Day, the gates will open at 11 a.m. and the rides get started at 1 p.m.
Although it isn't specific to the fair, a shady walk to the James S. Shadle Nature Center is always a worthwhile side trip. The Nature Center offers exhibits and education regarding the plants, animals, geology and natural history of the area and is open from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Schuylkill County Fair even offers camping on the 76-acre parcel encompassing the fairgrounds, at rates as low as $15 a night for tents.
With so much going on, the best way to see the schedules and other details is to go to the official Schuylkill County Fair website, www.schuylkillfair.com. There, daily schedules, contacts, prices and tons of other information can easily be found.