For the first time in over 160 years, the Montgomery County Fair has a new home in Jefferson Twp.
“It’s move-in day,” said Montgomery County Agricultural Society Executive Director Greg Wallace. “Just getting ready to make sure we’re ready to open the gates tomorrow,” he continued.
Setting up for the fair in a new location isn’t the easiest. “It’s a learning curve, so, you know, we’re trying it for the first time, and sure, it’s a challenge to know where everything’s going to go, where everything’s going to hook up, so it’s more a challenge this year,” said Wallace.
Another good thing about the new location of the fair is they’ve stopped taking tickets from vehicles as they drive by, it’s free flow parking into the parking lots, so there shouldn’t be any traffic problems. Everybody now walks through pedestrian gates to get into the facility.
This location should also be safer in the heat than years past due to the building that holds all the vendors now has air conditioning in it, and for the first time, vendors get to set up their booths in a comfortable, cool condition. “Both of our buildings are air conditioned, both of our buildings have restrooms,” said Senior Fair Board Director Linda Rowley--who also helps judge provisions for the pies and cakes that come in.
Rowley has been working the fair for nearly a decade and says while the old downtown roundhouse was iconic, but this new facility is a lot safer. “The air conditioning really helps because of the elderly, they can come sit and enjoy and talk to their friends, and we’ve not been able to do that before. The heat has been an issue, this year the heat should not be an issue at all,” she said.
For more information about the fair, visit www.montcofair.com.
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