By jennifer dome
Staff Writer
Robinson’s Pig Races, a popular feature at the Middlesex County Fair, will again make an appearance.
The 2002 Middlesex County Fair is sure to attract residents from throughout the region as a week of good times begins on Monday.
Complete with carnival rides, pig races, a circus, musicians and great food, fair organizers promise to have something for everyone. From Monday through Aug. 11, the fair will be held on the Middlesex County Fairgrounds on Cranbury Road (Route 535) in East Brunswick.
Although the fair has grown since it was started in 1938, the private, nonprofit Middlesex County Fair Association that runs it still boasts having the least expensive fair out of all those held throughout the state. Admission for adults is $5, and children under 12 are admitted for $1.
It is the volunteers and the donations that hold down the cost of the fair, organizers said. One group of volunteers, the Middlesex County 4-H Club, will be celebrating its 100th anniversary at this year’s fair. The club will host a dog obedience show, a dog obstacle and agility course show, and a swing dance. The 4-H Rhythm-in-Motion Cloggers will also perform at the 4-H Presentation Tent on Aug. 5, 6 and 10, as well as in the entertainment tent on Aug. 8.
Many attendees will enjoy watching Robinson’s Racing Pigs, an event that, as is traditional, will run twice each day. The Star Family Circus will be presenting three 30- to 40-minute shows each day, including performances such as juggling, dog acts and aerial acts.
A new addition to the fair this year is Hilby, also known as "The Skinny German Juggling Boy," whom the fair association describes as "the consummate street performer." He will be entertaining adults and children with juggling and magic.
Continuing a tradition of the fair since it began 64 years ago, there will be several types of agriculture, craft and home arts exhibits on display. In the agriculture tent, participants will enter vegetable, fruit and flower exhibits. Many different crafts, including calligraphy, doll-making, hand-weaving and stained glass to name a few, will be demonstrated in the craft tent. At the home arts building, baked goods, needlework, sewing and other creative projects will be on display.
In each of these tents, the participants will be competing for ribbons for their entries, while some items made by various crafters will be on sale to the public.
In the evenings, fairgoers can delight in the entertainment of many local bands, dancers and special events. Lysette’s School of Dance is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 5, and the First Position School of Dance will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 6. The Six Mile Run Bluegrass Band is scheduled to perform the evening of Aug. 8 and the T-Birds band will go on stage at 9 p.m. Aug. 9.
Other local bands that will perform during the seven days of the fair are There 4, from Milltown and East Brunswick, who will perform Aug. 6 and the Mahoney Brothers Jukebox Heroes, who will play Aug. 10. Kenny "The Dom" Mitterando will host a karaoke and oldies sing-along on Aug. 7.
The hours for the Middlesex County Fair are Monday-Thursday from 3-11 p.m.; Friday from 1-11 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.