Here’s what to expect as Harford County’s 37th Farm Fair kicks off Saturday

The Harford County Farm Fair will kick off its 37th year this weekend. The fair opens Saturday and runs through July 27.

Continuing a tradition that began last year, the fair will no longer include carnival rides or games, a move fair officials said has helped the fair “return to its roots.”

For the first 30 years of the fair, a carnival was not part of the event. Games and rides were added seven years ago to raise more money at the annual event, according to Aimee O’Neill, co-chair of the Fair Board, but the board now sees agricultural education and preservation as more important than additional funding.

“We are in a culture that is three or four generations removed from the family farm, so the information about farm animals and growing food is no longer readily available,” O’Neill said. “We consider this a great, big celebration of education about how we produce what we eat.”

This year, more than 2,785 4-H youth members have submitted entries across 247 exhibit types, including everything from livestock and crops to photography and baked goods.

“Entries continue to go up because 4-H continues to grow every year,” said Mike Doran, assistant coordinator for outdoor exhibits. “We are expecting more entries, so there will be plenty to see for people who come to the fair, that is for sure.”

Doran explained that the Farm Fair is a major contributor to the growth of 4-H because community members see and engage with 4-H members’ exhibits throughout the seven days of the fair.

“Families bring their kids out and they see stuff and get interested and then want to join,” Doran said. “A kid may live in a townhome in Bel Air, but all kids like taking pictures and they might want to grow tomatoes in their flowerbed so 4-H doesn’t discriminate, it is for anybody who is interested.”

The most anticipated 4-H event at the fair is the livestock auction. Youth members raise an animal all year, specifically so they can take it to auction. Doran speculates that as many as 275 animals, including pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle, could be auctioned off this year.

The growth of 4-H also contributed to the elimination of the carnival at the Farm Fair, due to limited space at the Harford County Equestrian Center.

“The Equestrian Center in Bel Air is great but unfortunately, there just is not enough room there and the carnival has taken up a lot of room that we need for 4-H to support them,” Doran said. “By getting rid of the carnival, we can focus more on 4-H and the agriculture business in the county.”

In addition to the 4-H events, other entertainment is planned, including Dockdogs, a competition to see which dogs can jump the farthest into water. The event returns this year after a 15-year hiatus. Pups will compete all day Saturday and Sunday. A cornhole competition will be held Sunday. Those interested in competing can register online or at the fair.

Monday at 6:30 p.m., local chefs from One Eleven Main and The Local will square off in a Chef’s Challenge. A table full of local products will be available for each chef to craft an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. A new event to the Farm Fair, Tuff Trucks, will have pickup trucks navigating a variety of obstacles at 7 p.m., Monday and Tuesday.

On the last day of the fair, July 27, at noon, the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association will host a competition in which participants ride on horseback and shoot black powder blanks at balloons. Contestants will be judged on speed and accuracy.

Parking will be free and entrance tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. The cost is $10 for attendees who are 19 and older, $5 for ages 13-18; and free for those 12 and younger. On July 26 and 27, admission for adults is $15.

The fair will be open noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and July 27; 4-10 p.m., Monday through July 26, at the Harford County Equestrian Center, 608 N. Tollgate Road, Bel Air.

A full list of daily events and activities can be found on the fair’s website, at farmfair.org .