Luzerne County Fair awarded funding to rebuild

LEHMAN TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The Luzerne County Fair is using $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to rebuild after last year’s storm damage.

Organizers are hoping to bounce back stronger and better than ever after Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the fair nearly one year ago.

The 2023 Luzerne County Fair started out with bright promises for a successful five-day event.

But on day two, strong storms flooded the fairgrounds and knocked out power .

“This is the most damage we’ve ever seen to the fair, the most rain we’ve ever seen, and I mean you could see last night when we had major storms again it’s just a different weather pattern these days,” said Luzerne County Fair President Alan Pugh.

Vendors and volunteers rallied to get back up and running on day three. But another burst of bad weather on day four flooded out every building, including the barns, and both fairgoers and animals were evacuated.

“I’m still amazed that a video exists out there of our great people from the barn, continuing with their auction in the midst of it, inundated with water while we were pushing the material up with machines, bulldozers, and backhoes,” Pugh explained.

For the safety of everyone involved, the fair closed early. The 62nd Annual Luzerne County Fair is scheduled for September 4 through September 8.

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