(July 30, 2015) The Great Pocomoke Fair opens tonight with harness racing, tractor pulls, livestock exhibits, pageants and classic Eastern Shore food at the southern end of Worcester County.
The fun begins today, Thursday, at the festival grounds at 2003 Broad Street in Pocomoke City, and continues Friday and Saturday, drawing hundreds of visitors each year, said Festival Treasurer Gloria Smith. Admission is free.
“The displays and exhibits give people a glimpse into agricultural life – old and new,” Smith added.
The fair will be open from 5-10 p.m. today where visitors will have the chance to visit the livestock barn and indoor exhibits all evening as well as watch a couple pageants going on.
On Friday, July 31, the fair will take place from 5-10 p.m. with more livestock judging and a new Jeep demonstration at 6:30 p.m. Participants will drive through an off-road course in the infield of the harness track, and a family movie starts at 7 p.m.
“We are hoping to get ‘Pixies’ for an early family show and maybe an additional movie for a later show as well,” Smith said.
The fair runs all day on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. with additional livestock judging, a petting zoo and the popular harness racing competition from 12:30-4 p.m.
“The harness racing has been a long-time event at the fair,” Smith said. “There are usually 10 to 12 races with four to six horses each.”
There will be a cake and pie auction between the races followed by children’s activities at 1 p.m., including a chicken scratch where youngsters will search for special coins in a tray of wood shavings, and water balloon games.
“We collect spare change throughout the year and scatter it in a tray of wood,” Smith said. “There are usually a couple of coins for special prizes such as ice cream from the fair concession, otherwise they get to keep what they collect.”
There will be a greased pig contest open to the public at 1:30 p.m. Then at 5 p.m., the antique and classic tractor pull begins on the infield track. The tractor drivers will attempt to pull a weighted sled 300 feet during the event.
“People that come to the tractor pull enjoy watching the “old iron” – many remember their fathers working the fields with these old tractors when they were kids and some helped work the fields with these old tractors as youths,” Smith said.
Indoor exhibits feature locally grown vegetables, flowers, crafts and baked goods whereas livestock range from goats and cattle to rabbits, sheep, poultry and swine.
“We are an open fair and accept entries from residents in Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties in Maryland and Accomack County in Virginia. We have at times had a few entries from Delaware residents as well,” Smith said.
Make sure to arrive hungry for cheesesteak sandwiches, funnel cake fries, barbecue chicken and other treats.
“We have displays and exhibits by local folks and we try to provide something that interests the entire family,” Smith said. “Activities and animals for youth, crafts and home arts for mom and old and new farm equipment for dad.”
The festival weekend wraps up at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday with a fireworks show over the fairgrounds.
Visit www.thegreatpocomokefair.org or call the fairgrounds at 410-957-4486 for more information on the fair that has been an annual tradition since 1991.
The fun begins today, Thursday, at the festival grounds at 2003 Broad Street in Pocomoke City, and continues Friday and Saturday, drawing hundreds of visitors each year, said Festival Treasurer Gloria Smith. Admission is free.
“The displays and exhibits give people a glimpse into agricultural life – old and new,” Smith added.
The fair will be open from 5-10 p.m. today where visitors will have the chance to visit the livestock barn and indoor exhibits all evening as well as watch a couple pageants going on.
On Friday, July 31, the fair will take place from 5-10 p.m. with more livestock judging and a new Jeep demonstration at 6:30 p.m. Participants will drive through an off-road course in the infield of the harness track, and a family movie starts at 7 p.m.
“We are hoping to get ‘Pixies’ for an early family show and maybe an additional movie for a later show as well,” Smith said.
The fair runs all day on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. with additional livestock judging, a petting zoo and the popular harness racing competition from 12:30-4 p.m.
“The harness racing has been a long-time event at the fair,” Smith said. “There are usually 10 to 12 races with four to six horses each.”
There will be a cake and pie auction between the races followed by children’s activities at 1 p.m., including a chicken scratch where youngsters will search for special coins in a tray of wood shavings, and water balloon games.
“We collect spare change throughout the year and scatter it in a tray of wood,” Smith said. “There are usually a couple of coins for special prizes such as ice cream from the fair concession, otherwise they get to keep what they collect.”
There will be a greased pig contest open to the public at 1:30 p.m. Then at 5 p.m., the antique and classic tractor pull begins on the infield track. The tractor drivers will attempt to pull a weighted sled 300 feet during the event.
“People that come to the tractor pull enjoy watching the “old iron” – many remember their fathers working the fields with these old tractors when they were kids and some helped work the fields with these old tractors as youths,” Smith said.
Indoor exhibits feature locally grown vegetables, flowers, crafts and baked goods whereas livestock range from goats and cattle to rabbits, sheep, poultry and swine.
“We are an open fair and accept entries from residents in Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties in Maryland and Accomack County in Virginia. We have at times had a few entries from Delaware residents as well,” Smith said.
Make sure to arrive hungry for cheesesteak sandwiches, funnel cake fries, barbecue chicken and other treats.
“We have displays and exhibits by local folks and we try to provide something that interests the entire family,” Smith said. “Activities and animals for youth, crafts and home arts for mom and old and new farm equipment for dad.”
The festival weekend wraps up at 10:15 p.m. on Saturday with a fireworks show over the fairgrounds.
Visit www.thegreatpocomokefair.org or call the fairgrounds at 410-957-4486 for more information on the fair that has been an annual tradition since 1991.