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New youth activities added to three-day festival

From staff reports

ANTES FORT –What do thousands of bugs, cash cows, greased pigs, truck pulls, fireworks, an old west show and a large variety of favorite foods have in common?

They are all part of the 27th Annual Fort Antes Historical Days beginning at 4 p.m. today, and continuing Friday and Saturday in the village of Antes Fort, two miles south of Jersey Shore off Route 44.

As the fall festival continues year after year, the events also continue to grow.

This year, the committee has added several new activities aimed at giving youth something fun to do at the event.

PHOTO PROVIDED Ryan “The Bug Man” Bridge will be showing his cool collection of bugs in all shapes and sizes on Saturday.

“The Bug Man,” Ryan Bridge will be bringing more than 10,000 bugs to the show this year. His one-hour program will delight girls and boys with live insects and related invertebrates that will make up this one-of-a-kind exhibit and encourage the audience to pet or hold the harmless mini-beasts. Hands-on and close-up are the best ways to learn about insects and this exhibit will offer both, Bridge said.

Last year’s Greased Pig and Mutton Bustin’ contests were a huge hit, so another animal related event has been added this year.

It’s called Cash Cow and will allow youngsters in divided age groups to chase feeder calves around the field and pull off dollar bills that have been tied to the cows’ tails. Participants will keep the dollar bills they pull from the tails.

Last year 88 kids participated in the animal contests, and everyone received a ribbon. The contests are sponsored by Moore Farms and Paulhamus Veterinary Associates, with help from Montoursville and Sugar Valley Future Farmers of America.

Of course there’s that old adage, why change something that isn’t broken, paving the way for organizers to continue the tried and true events that have brought young and old out for almost three decades.

PHOTO PROVIDED The Shadows of the Old West Encampment will be returning to the Antes Fort Historical days to showcase what it was like to live back in such a well known part of United State’s history.

For several years the Shadows of The Old West has camped out during the three-day event, showing visitors how cowboys and cowgirls lived out on the frontier. They’ll be cooking, sleeping and performing special shows at their campsite. The performers are college professors who spend their summers traveling from one event to another.

Other activities and events planned include horse drawn carriage rides, musical stage shows, free train rides, the balloon man, a craft show and flea market, chainsaw carving, kids games, race cars on display, a chicken barbecue on Friday and Saturday, ham dinner and square dancing on Friday, applebutter boil and car show on Saturday. The Antes Fort Museum will be open to visitors each day.

There is nightly entertainment, including the Sugar Valley Community Band and Central PA Community Band on Thursday, Tim McNett Band on Friday and Clark McClain Band on Saturday.

And always a great crowd pleaser, tractor and truck pulls will be held both Friday and Saturday nights.

On Friday at 9 p.m., events will cease temporarily and the lights will be turned off as a gigantic fireworks display begins. After the fireworks, activities will resume.

Admission is free. Parking on the grounds is $3.

FORT ANTES HISTORICAL DAYS

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Today

4 p.m. — Grounds and food stands open.

6:30 p.m. — Sugar Valley Community Band.

7:30 p.m. — Central PA Community Band.

Tomorrow

Noon — Grounds and food stands open; Shadows of the Old West; Chicken Bar-B-Q.

4 p.m. — Free train rides.

4:30 p.m. Ham Dinner

6 p.m. — Fair Play Brass; Balloon Man; truck and tractor pulls begin.

7:30 p.m. — Tim McNett Band.

8 p.m. — Square dancing.

9 p.m. — Fireworks.

9:30 p.m. — Tim McNett Band.

Saturday

7 a.m. — Firemen’s breakfast at firehall.

9 a.m. — Grounds open; Shadows of the Old West; 5K walk/run; classic car show; applebutter boil; The Bug Man.

10 a.m. — Antique tractor pulls begin; free train rides.

11 a.m. — Chicken Bar-B-Q; The Bug Man; Balloon Man.

Noon — Apple Pie Contest judging, auction to follow.

1 p.m. — The Bug Man.

2 p.m. — Shadows of the Old West.

3 p.m. — Car show trophy awards.

3-5 p.m. — Greased Pig, Mutton Bustin’ and Cash Cow contests.

6 p.m. — Clark McClain Band; lawn and garden tractor pull.

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