Students looking for a close-to-campus Labor Day activity can attend the Montgomery County Fair.
The fair runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29, until Sept. 3 with a $6 entrance charge.
“It’s great entertainment [and] it’s a good value that is walking distance from campus. The atmosphere is especially interesting at night because of the CED lights. It’s beautiful,” said year-long office manager Debbie Long.
Long said she has worked with the annual fair for 15 years, but the fair itself is nearly two centuries old.
“I really enjoy my job,” Long said. “There’s always something new going on. I come to the same places but do different things.”
There are many activities and events that will be held during the five-day duration. From tractor pulls to food contests, there is not a boring moment, Long said.
“There are approximately 30 rides all together,” she said.
The fair will feature rides, booths, animal barns, antique shows, corn hole tournaments, food and beer gardens. There will also be a Demolition Derby, according to Long.
“[The Demolition Derby is] when people get into cars called ‘Demo cars’ in the middle of the grandstand and basically smash each other until only one is left standing. It’s great entertainment,” she said.
“The thing about the fair is that every time I go, I feel like a kid in a candy store,” said sophomore business major Davis Arnold. “It’s so exciting. I can’t wait to go.”
While many county fairs are held in the country, Long said that Montgomery County’s fair is different because of its urban setting.
“It’s right on the edge of the city,” she said. “It’s more of an urban fair as opposed to a rural one. The dynamics of that is what sets it apart from other fairs like in Troy, Ohio.”
Long said these events are for all ages, and that people from all walks of life come around for a good time. She recommends the Zipper and Pirate Ship rides as well as the animal barns.
“You can be a kid again. Also, it is stress relieving to hop on a ride and scream my lungs out,” she said.
For more information, visit www.montcofair.com or the Montgomery County Fair Facebook page.
