Agriculture is a big part of the Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair, which will be held Aug. 22-26 at the South County Park on Route 179 near Ringoes.
All kinds of animal shows are on the schedule, as well as tractor pulls, a farm crops contest, an antique tractor display and daily demonstrations of draft horses at work.
There will be all sorts of entertainment, too, ranging from country music concerts and pig races to senior citizen tap dancers to cloggers, a magician and a clown.
West Amwell resident Betty Jane Hunt is very active in the fair organization and helps run the Fair Ambassador contest, as well as overseeing the Dairy Den, where the Dairy Princess will appear and help serve free ice cream sundaes to all fairgoers on Friday afternoon.
One of the biggest entertainment attractions at the fair each year is Dave Bond singing with his Real Country band. This is set for Thursday night. The group performs country songs that have been around for a long time.
Mr. Bond retired three years ago from the Ringoes farm equipment business he co-owned, but he still raises field crops and now works for his son’s used tractor business.
Mr. Bond was a partner in the machinery business with Roger Everitt, who has been president of the fair since it started in 2000.
The “new” fair was held at Flemington Fairgrounds until moving to its own site, South County Park, in 2004.
The Real Country show follows the Beth Coleman Band, a bluegrass group, on Thursday. She’s from High Bridge .
On Friday night, there will be a big fireworks show at the fair, along with the musical entertainment.
The regular farm tractor pull will be held opening day. The “open” version will be held Wednesday night. Garden tractors compete on Saturday morning. There’s a pedal tractor pull for children on Sunday afternoon.
The public can enter fruits, vegetables, baked goods and other home-made products, and there’s a “Biggest Specimen” show for heaviest tomatoes, longest ears of corn and a large number of other categories.
Along with 4-H shows morning, afternoon and night, the fair offers all kinds of food vendors, amusement rides, exhibits by community groups and commercial displays.
The Flemington Speedway Historical Society will feature a big display at the fair, with a number of cars, which raced at the track, old photos and other memorabilia.
The Route 31 speedway, which also was home of Flemington Fair, is now a shopping center anchored by a Lowe’s and a Walmart.
Fair admission is free; parking costs $10 per carload (shared with local volunteer fire companies whose members supervise the parking fields). The only charge to see an event is $5 for a seat at the Wednesday night tractor pull.
Fair hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The fair remains open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and closes at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call 908-782-6809 or visit: www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/4hagfair.

