Schuylkill County Fair

From Schuylkill County Fair Website:

2019 Schuylkill County Fair
July 29 - Aug. 3

The 35th SCF is now history with a year of "Cheers to 35 Years of Farms, Families, Fair and Fun. Hard to believe that it has been 35 years since a fledgling group of people came together with the desire to reignite the Schuylkill County Fair. Back then, 35 ago the Schuylkill County Fair became known as the "New" Schuylkill County Fair. Now 35 years later it is just referred to as the "The Fair." It has taken on entity onto its own.

Well "The Fair" certainly had a week of experiences that will not be forgotten over the next 35 years. The heavens opened up and let loose with more rain in a week then the area sees in a summer. Over one night, from 4 p.m. Thursday till Friday in the a.m., the rain gauge in the Pollinator Garden was overflowing at 4 inches. Time for a new and much larger rain gauge. But the rain did not stop "The Fair." The Fair just floated on.

The 35th Schuylkill County Fair will best remembered as the fair of the PFD or personal flotation device. Participants felt the need to have one readily at hand to put on at a moment's notice for if and when Bear Creek and three ponds on the property threatened to overflow. BUT the PFD can be thought of as a mechanism that kept the "Fair" afloat. The Fair would like to think of those PFDs as our volunteers. For it is the volunteers that make this Fair happen each year. Those volunteers weathered the storms and came to the rescue of the Fair in many, many ways. For it was the volunteers who:
Kept our bellies full from the FARM Food Stand starting us off the day with a healthy breakfast and then continuously feeding us throughout the day to help us keep our energy level up for our next experience to overcome.
Filled sand bags to keep the streams of water from flowing into the Circus Act in the amphitheater area right next to Bear Creek and more importantly our pump house high and dry providing potable water to the facility.
Offered their business and church parking facilities by providing offsite parking.
Provided buses and drivers to shuttle fair goers to and from parking.
Providing potable water through the local fire and rescue companies when our well pump went down on Sunday.
Provided a tremendous effort that goes into setup of the fairgrounds for all to enjoy.
Like Romans II, provided manpower before, during and after the fair.
Like the "Track Boys" constantly maintaining the track facility between downpours, covering and uncovering the track with tarps.
Delivered sawdust when the facility were washed clean of the needed sawdust for the animals.
4-H and FFA exhibitors and families who provided manpower to setup, maintain and clean up the grounds.
Dug ditches to divert the streams of water as it came off the side of the mountain.
Spread stone to build retainer walls to hold back and or divert the water.
Became animal health caregivers when animals were impacted by the weather.
Stepped forward to deal with any and all bio security issues.
Pulled trailers, cars and trucks from the mud.
Operated heavy equipment to dig, spread or remove earth.
In their ever faithful participated in the organized teardown of the grounds.
Stayed around to clean-up the grounds after all the "fun" was over.
Preformed many more extraordinary feats to keep the 35th Schuylkill County Fair afloat.
Spirit of volunteering is not dead as most would believe. The pool of volunteers is just getting smaller. The Schuylkill County Fair is truly grateful to all the volunteers who stepped forward to become a personal flotation device keeping the 35th Schuylkill County Fair afloat so that the "Fair" can come around for the 36th year. THANK YOU. Let's raise a glass to say "Cheers to You."