Events at the Broome County Fair

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The Broome County Fair will take place
July 23 - 28, 2013. Any Questions or Comments?
Contact Us

Concessionaires:

Fowler's Taffy

Robbin's
Land Clearing

J&C Gifts

Wandering
Cowboys
Western Wear

Kountry Kitchen

JD Reynolds
Air Brush T-shirts

R&M T-shirts

Nancy's
Neighborhood
Sandwiches

Basement
Waterproofing

Males Ecuadorian
Clothing

Papa Bear Stoves

Hitchin Post

AD Bowman
Wood & Pellet
Stoves

Joint Landowners
Coalition of NY

Dean Wall Apparel

Events

Miniature Horse Pull

Mini whinnies can be heard on the fairgrounds this year as the new attraction prances out onto the pulling arena. The miniature horses have maximum power when harnessed in pairs to a pulling pallet of cinderblocks. These cute and mild-mannered playthings turn into forces of unnatural power as the fire in their eyes matches the steam shooting from their nostrils. Look deeply into their champion eyes, widened with determination to pull until a superior strength has been proved.
Great things come in these small packages and their handlers have their hands full just getting them to the starting position. From there, as a bullet from a white-hot muzzle, they bound and lunge down the track, dragging a load as though it floats on the dusty clouds billowing behind them in their wake. At last, after cinderblocks have been added and added, making the pallet-load of stone sink deep into the dirt, the miniature horses pull against their harnesses, urging the mighty load forward in a feat more of will than of sweat. Who will pull the heaviest load this year? How many heroes will be made in the field of honor? Count the hooves and divide by four.

Commerford Petting Zoo

Close enough to touch! Have you ever seen an elephant or a kangaroo up close? The Commerford & Sons Petting Zoo will have their new exotic animals with them all week as they welcome your affectionate hands to lavish their pets with love. For the past 40 years the Commerford Zoo has brought their costumes and creatures to festive events up and down the East Coast, offering animal rides and family fun. In addition to the ponies, goats, lambs, and pigs that have traveled with them from fair to fair, they now bring miniature horses, elephants, camels, a kangaroo, a Indian Zebu cow, and even a giraffe!

Chainsaw Carving

Sawdog Matt Hass, who has had 11 years experience in entertainment sculpting, is a dynamic chainsaw sculpting sensation. We are happy to announce that he brings his show to the Broome County Fair this year! Each show is a high-energy, sawdust-flying, and fun-filled experience for the whole family. Chips and sawdust fly in a flurry of inspired carving, giving way to a jewel buried in the wood. Bears and other forest critters appear in the grain. What magical reveal next awaits the bystander? Come to watch and find out! At the end of the week, at 3:00pm on Sunday, his unsold work will be generously donated for an auction to benefit our special patrons and their support staff who come to the enjoy the fair on Special Kids Day!

Jr. Miss and Miss Broome County

The new Little Miss, Junior Miss, and Miss Broome County Fair will be crowned on Tuesday, July 23, from noon to 4:00pm at the scholarship competition in the Entertainment Building. The contest is open to all young women who are residents of Broome County. The contestants need to be between 4-8 to qualify for Little Miss (contest at noon), 9-13 for Junior Miss (contest at 1:00pm), and 14-18 years of age for Miss Broome County (contest at 3:00pm).
A two-minute personal speech and interview about the contestant's life, interests, and hobbies is the category that the judges use in the selection of Broome County Fair's teenage representatives. For rules consult the rules page of this website.

Gillette Family Shows

The 139th Annual Broome County Fair will begin brimming with fun on Tuesday, July 23rd, and simmer with excitement through Sunday, July 28th, at the Whitney Point Fairgrounds, where the Gillette Shows will once again electrify the Midway with awesome amusement rides and games as they celebrate their 32st year at the Fair! The ferris wheel sweeps elegantly above all the scenery, laid out below in tangles trailers of lights and the peals and squeals of delight. Catching their breath from the laughter and excitement of the twirling, bouncing, dropping, and bopping, streams of fairgoers fan out among the other contests and rides, eager to jump into a moving metal beast or to show off hand-eye coordination in the games of skill.
Enjoy the feeling of carnival thrill, a shiver of sugar mixed with topsy-turvy excitement! What's that over there?
Here, hold my cotton candy---I'm getting on THAT one!

Crown City Rollers Skating Demonstration

   Who’s that zipping in and out of foot traffic along the Midway? You might catch a glimpse of the CrownCity Rollers showing off their skating skills among the stalls, but for a better look, take a peek in the Franklin Building where this roller-derby class act will teach you a thing or two about ruling the world on wheels!
   Crown City Rollers is an all-female flat-track derby league operating since April 2010 out of Cortland, New York, but with members from as far away as Auburn. They welcome anyone that would like to skate, volunteer, or referee for the league. They’ve been involved with philanthropic events such as Relay for Life, the SPCA Fuzzfest, the Cortland Dairy Parade, YWCA Pig and Par Golf Tournament, the Cortland Main St. Music Festival, and the Mac Fest in Cortland.
   If you’re interested in being on the team, volunteering, or even becoming a sponsor, visit their website at crowncityrollerz.webs.com or contact them at cortlandrollerderby@mail.com.

Hymn Sing

The Hymn Sing and audience participation will begin on Tuesday, July 23rd. The "Sing" will be just that this year, as the program returns to its original meaning, audience participation. A sheet of music lyrics will be provided for those attending and the songs sung as requested by the audience. The Hymn Sing is sponsored by the W.P. Area Council of Churches and has been a way to bring the communities of Northern Broome closer together and have a feeling of camaraderie. Some of the area's finest voices will add a personal touch to the event. The pianist for the event is Winogene Shrauger of Lisle. This year's hymn sing will feature a gathering time prior to the actual "Sing." Beginning at 6:00 pm Whitney Point's own "Doc" Weismore will open the hymn sing as people gather. The hymn sing will begin at 6:45 pm and last until 8:00 pm with the audience being the "great choir." All of this occurs at the entertainment building just inside the Main gate of the Fair. Song sheets will be provided. Join us!
This year, those attending are encouraged to bring along an item to be donated to the WP Food Pantry. This includes non-perishable food items and baby items such as food, formula, diapers etc. A large box will be at the front entrance.

4-H Horse Show

Don't forget to stop by the animal arena and pavilions to see which animals will walk, trot, hop, and waddle home with blue ribbons around their necks. . . . Equine hooves make their mark! 4-H riders and groomers parade their stallions and mares before the judges on July 25th - 27th, Thursday at 9:00 a.m., Friday at 8:00 a.m., and Saturday at 9:00 a.m. in the Horse Arena. The sleek 20-hands-high horses will show with a toss of their manes and a ripple of their sturdy muscles how upstate New York raises a few ears. Making their owners proud, these fine powerhouses flare their nostrils to the smell of the pavilion grounds while stomping a beat to a familiar cadence. The equestrians have worked hard to put their best work before us and their discerning judges. Good luck to all and may the best horses get the ribbons!

Roosters crow about their crowns!

All manner of headdress will be teased for the 4-H Poultry show on display on July 27th, Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the Livestock Pavilion. Crooning and cooing for their attention, the roosters and hens will settle bets on the best bouffant and the most feathered fez. A prize there will be in ribbon and acclaim, but none will outdo the oohs and aahs of the crowds, amazed at the feathers in all textures and colors! How does that hen comb its hair? How does that rooster carry its comb? These are mysteries known only to those chickens with the secret claw shake.

Pigs Snort for Peace!

As the judges make their rounds, they find the size and shape of the best hogs in the land. Each nose knows when the experts have arrived to its corral; good taste has an odor of its own. The hogs have combed their hairs and trimmed their toes to make a lasting impression. Who knows what webs will spin their stories? Only their owners can tell the hero’s quest that has brought each of them to the 4-H show, but their ribbons won on Wednesday, July 24th at 6:00 p.m., will prove that they’ve got what it takes when they return to the others left at home.

Dogs bay for their summer day

Barking for biscuits, the canine patrol stands at attention on Tuesday, July 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in the Livestock Pavilion. The judges will note the wettest noses and the waggiest tails to find the finest specimens of man’s-best-friendliness. Pooches will strut their finest coats in hopes of landing the tastiest ribbons. Not a day goes by that these dogs don’t love their owners; not a day goes by that we shouldn’t celebrate their loyalty and endless generosity. Oh, give us a slurp! Wait, was that a cat?

Other Events

Broome County's Got Talent Vocal Competitions

These events, brought to you by Andrea's DJ and Kareoke Bash, will be held on Thursday at 6 pm on July 25th and Friday at 6 pm on July 26th. On Thursday at 6 pm, the younger set will get their chance first to rock out or to show off the sweet voices that make them the angels they are! Adult vocalists who have lungs and the will to use them will meet on Friday at 6 pm, filling the Franklin building with musical stylings in a competition that will give best and worst awards in the good fun of sharing talent with friends. Both competitions will be a riot of fun!

Dance Competition! (Age 13 and Older)

So you think you can dance? Kicks Dance Center in cooperation with the Broome County Fair is on the hunt for fifty talented people to send along to the New York State Fair to represent Broome County in a state-wide competition. We will also accept Cortland and Tioga County residents for this competition. Qualification demonstrations will take place beginning at 5 pm on Friday, July 26, in the Entertainment building. For information concerning entrants or qualifications, call Dana Aleba at 607-644-5728. This year, the hunt is on for 25 young persons under 12 years of age and 25 more of 12 years and older. Since the great success of the event last year, excitement has been building as the Fair looks for its most gifted dancers, singers, and performers of family-oriented talent. If selected to represent Broome County this year, you could be in line for the cash prizes that are to be awarded to the winners of the NY State Fair competition. So step up and strut your stuff! Come cut a rug or jitterbug with dancers who mean business and others who mean anything but as Kicks Dance Center holds a competition for dancers 13 and older! Come one, come all! We are looking for 50 of the best dancers to enter into the Get some fun on the floor as you sweep it with your sashays on Friday, July 26th, at 5 pm, in the Entertainment Building. Can you do the splits? Watch me! . . . Oops! That was my favorite pair of pants!

Dance Competition! (Age 12 and Younger)

Now, some say the young know more about stomping up the floor than their elders! Some like to spin and jump and bounce, and some are as graceful as swans gliding across a glassy pond. What kind of dancer are you? Bring your boots, socks, or slippers and show off your twirls on Saturday, July 27th, at noon in the Entertainment Building. Just put your feet to the floor and feel the music move you. You look like an angel! Yours is the dance of youth inspired!

Kicks Dance Center Dance Demonstrations

Maybe you've seen a move or two on TV or stolen a glance in the club out on the floor. These couples are on stage for much of their lives and they love to have you watch! See it all as they parade the styles of each decade at 4:00 p.m. every day from Thursday, July 25th, to Saturday, July 27th, in the Entertainment Building. Prepare to be amazed -- fancy footwork like that doesn't come without plenty of practice!

Karate Demonstration

Hayaah! Put your foot through this! My hand is made of steel! No one forgets the time they saw a human body become a lethal weapon! The discipline required to become a martial artist pays off after years of practice ("Wax on, wax off, Daniel-san"). Don't miss the Karate Demonstration by FMK Karate on Saturday, July 27th, at 1:00 p.m. in the Entertainment Building! Everyone bow to the Sensai -- now, show us your stuff! Hayaah!

Food, Glorious Food

   Every face-full of food is an event to the person eating it, especially the delicacies available at the fair. No doubt you’ll want to stuff yourself to the gills with grills and battered bread, but consider all of the items on the menu first: Fowler’s Taffy, J&L’s Fried Dough, The Onion Wagon’s onion rings, Sportsmen Club’s Spiedies, Caribbean Coolers, Nancy’s Neighborhood Sandwiches, Utter Delights Ice Cream, Aiello’s Pizza, Scott Smith’s roasted cinnamon nuts, Whitney Point Athletic Boosters Barbecue, and Kountry Kitchen’s Homemade Dinners.
   The top sellers at J&L, for example, are the funnel cakes, elephant ears, and the zeppeli, but close on these heels are several new heavenly delights – some of which you may never have heard of before! The light soy-oil-fried batter gives some old standards a new life with a powdered halo.
   Care for a deep-fried Twinkie, or how about a deep-fried Oreo cookie? How about a real mouth explosion? Try the deep-fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich! – and for the final loop-de-loop, put your taste buds on a specially battered deep-fried pickle! No Joke! Delicious!
   Between the horse, pony, tractor, and truck pulls, perhaps you could pull yourself away for a pull of a different kind. Fowler's Taffy has returned to the Fair to demonstrate the art of pulling sugar. Taffy-pulling is a long-standing American tradition that includes an element of performance. Much like Aiello’s art of spinning pizza pies, the techniques of taffy-pulling require a strong and steady hand. Come get an eye-full at the daily demonstrations of consummate confectionary craftsmanship! We're not pulling your leg—the Taffy-Pull's a show with a sweet draw!
   Promise to walk it all off as you check out all of the Fair’s attractions – another menu of fun! Oops, let’s let this belt out just a couple more notches. Now, we’re ready for seconds!

Special Kids Day
Guests who participate in our "SPECIAL KIDS DAY" are mentally and physically challenged members of our local communities. The Special Kids Day Fund is a registered state charitable organization. Read more.

Please donate to the Special Kids Fund today: