Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
A Bucks County tradition is set to kick off Wednesday.
The 69th annual Middletown Grange Fair is set to run Wednesday, August 16 through Sunday, August 20 at the fairgrounds at 576 Penns Park Road in Wrightstown.
The grassroots, non-partisan event will provide food, fun and entertainment for thousands throughout the week.
Local 4-H clubs will have numerous events at the Grange Fair, including a beef cattle show. In addition, the popular pig races and Dancing Diggers, a group of pieces of construction equipment that move like dancers, will be returning.
The exciting and sometimes off-the-wall series of events began in 1948, according to organizers, as an entry to a national contest that challenged groups to grow 300 bushels of corn. Middletown Grange members planted the corn for the contest in nearby Yardley before inviting the public to attend and participate in the harvest.
Credit: Amanda Burg/NewtownPaNow.com
By 1966, the Middletown Grange purchased the Wrightstown tract of land. Over the years, the fair and permanent facilities have grown to accommodate the large crowds that attend the Grange Fair.
The annual festival that draws people from around the region to the fairgrounds in Wrightstown will kick off at 10 a.m. Wednesday when the Bucks County Commissioners hold their business meeting at the entertainment tent.
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
From noon on, the Grange Fair will be open and holding a variety of entertainment and agricultural displays and demonstrations. Rides from Skelly’s Amusements will be at the fairgrounds and open from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m.
The weather for Wednesday’s kickoff is looking favorable. The temperatures are expected to top off at around 87 degrees and skies will remain clear.
The cost per a carload to enter the Grange Fair is $10.
Those interested in attending the Grange Fair can purchase either a daily pass or a five-day pass. A day pass, which allows multiple entries throughout the day and for as many occupants that can fit in a vehicle, costs $10 Wednesday through Saturday and $5 on Sunday. A five-day pass can be purchased for $30 and is good for unlimited entry throughout the course of the fair. Veterans will be admitted free the last day of the fair, according to organizers.
The annual Chicken Dinner will be Thursday and Saturday. Tickets for the feast go on sale at 3:30 p.m. and will go until they sell out. The cost per ticket is $15 and child-sized portions are $10.
Entertainment Schedule:
12:00 p.m. – Sue Wee Pig Racing
12:45 p.m. – “Big Tiny Young” Show
1:30 p.m. – Johnny Peers & Muttville Comix
2:30 p.m. – Magic of Belmont
3:00 p.m. – Sue Wee Pig Racing
3:30 p.m. – “Big Tiny Young” Show
4:30 p.m. – Johnny Peers & Muttville Comix
5:00 p.m. – Sue Wee Pig Racing
5:00 p.m. – Tractor Parade
5:30 p.m. – Dancing Diggers
6:00 p.m. – Magic of Belmont
6:30 p.m. – Dancing Diggers
7:00 p.m. – Sue Wee Pig Racing
7:15 p.m. -“Big Tiny Young” Show
7:30 p.m. – Dancing Diggers
8:00 p.m. – Rick K. & The Allnighters
8:30 p.m. – Dancing Diggers
9:00 p.m. – Magic of Belmont
9:30 p.m. – Sue Wee Pig Racing
