David Cassidy on the Web
"Partridge Family" star David Cassidy to headline the Schuylkill County Fair
July 27, 2016
By T.W. Burger
www.readingeagle.com
Auburn, PA - If you like the country, you are going to love the Schuylkill County Fair, said Kim Morgan, public relations director for the 33-year-old event.
Likewise, the sound of children laughing, yelling on rides, live music, the smells of barbecue, popcorn, cotton candy, the exhaust of antique farm equipment. Did we mention barbecue?
The Schuylkill County Fair will be ripping along during the week of Aug. 1 to 6. The theme of this year's fair is "We have good things growing."
Morgan said every fair so far has brought in gobs of people, and this one should be no different.
"The fair usually attracts 27,000 to 30,000 people," she said. "It is strategically located in the lower part of Schuylkill County. If you haven't been there, it's a beautiful rural area with no Wi-Fi to speak of. You virtually have to position yourself in certain areas on the ground to use your 4G with your phone."
The remote location plays havoc with some who depend on electronics, she said.
"A couple of years back, TV stations from here and from Philly had to go to the top of the mountain to send in what they had for their nightly news," she said.
People who don't know the county wise up when they are told that it's the home of Yuengling beer.
"If they're from east of the Mississippi, you get a pretty good response to that," she said, laughing.
The fair will feature a number of new features this year:
Under the Weston Pavilion, you will find Mrs. U's Zoo RevUe, where Pam Ulicny from the Tri-Valley area will educate attendees in a fun and informal way about the many creatures she has accumulated over the course of time through her teaching science in Tri-Valley School.
Cooking contests: Baking with Brew and Yueng Wings, will join the popular Boilo, ethnic cooking contest; cooking with wine; and Schuylkill Grown.
Never fear, the traditional goodies are still there: There are competitive exhibits of handiwork, produce and animals, including sheep, pigs, steers, goats and rabbits. A number of new varieties of peaches, nectarines and grape growing are also scheduled for exhibit.
The traditional baking contest can be found at this year's fair, such as the PA Preferred Chocolate Cake for the adults, and the bars or cookies for the youth.
Back again is the Blue Ribbon Apple Pie contest, as well as the Incredible Angel Food Cake contest. Christmas trees were brought back last year as a competitive exhibit.
The fair is hoping for more participation this year as Schuylkill County is the number one producer of Christmas trees in the state, Morgan said.
There are even categories for craft brews and wines.
Naturally, there will be lots of foods - Morgan confessed a weakness for sweet potato fries - games, programs, activities, contests, commercial exhibits and a lot more.
David Cassidy, once a member of "The Partridge Family" television program, will headline the M&T Stage on Saturday night. Cassidy was signed to perform at the fair by the Schuylkill County Visitor Bureau in partnership with the fair.
Cassidy was responsible for seven chart-topping Partridge Family singles, including "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted," "I Woke Up in Love This Morning," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," and of course, "I Think I Love You."
Morgan said that if you plan to attend the concert, you might want to bring a lawn chair and plant it early in front of the stage to assure good seating.
Morgan described the fair as a "wonderful destination. It is family friendly, there are lots of kids' activities, and really meets the needs of a wide range of age ranges. It's just good wholesome family fun. And in the midst of all that fun, we try to educate the public about agriculture, about where their food, fiber and fuel come. We want people to have fun and to leave the fair with the attitude that 'now I get it.' "
