Move-in week: Campers, vendors prepare for 152nd Annual Grange Fair week
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Pick up trucks are parked along rows of tents at the Centre County Grange Fair as tenters begin to move in for fair week.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS A countdown clock for the Centre County Grange Fair is pictured inside Raelene Decker’s tent at the fairgrounds.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS RV Secretary George Witherite reviews camper parking in progress during move-in week at the Centre County Grange Fair.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Todd Fisher works the grill at Fisher’s Stand at the Centre County Grange Fair.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS The entrance to the 152nd Annual Centre County Grange Fair is pictured.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS The view from inside one of the many tents set up at the 152nd Annual Centre County Grange Fair is pictured.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Brian Querry, director of Centre County Veterans Affairs, prepares the VA’s table for display in the Emporium leading up to the 152nd Annual Centre County Grange Fair.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Pick up trucks are parked along rows of tents at the Centre County Grange Fair as tenters begin to move in for fair week.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS A countdown clock for the Centre County Grange Fair is pictured inside Raelene Decker’s tent at the fairgrounds.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS RV Secretary George Witherite reviews camper parking in progress during move-in week at the Centre County Grange Fair.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Todd Fisher works the grill at Fisher’s Stand at the Centre County Grange Fair.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS The entrance to the 152nd Annual Centre County Grange Fair is pictured.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS The view from inside one of the many tents set up at the 152nd Annual Centre County Grange Fair is pictured.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Brian Querry, director of Centre County Veterans Affairs, prepares the VA’s table for display in the Emporium leading up to the 152nd Annual Centre County Grange Fair.
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CENTRE HALL -- The number of days on Raelene Decker's Grange Fair countdown clock is down to single digits.
Decker, a retiree from Rebersburg, has never missed a fair throughout her lifetime, and like many faithful fairgoers, has been counting down the days since last year's fair ended.
"I start counting down as soon as we leave for the year," says Decker, who along with her husband, Larry, will spend the better part of a week getting their tent ready ahead of the official opening of the fair on Friday, Aug. 21.
The Deckers will make several trips to and from the fair during move-in week in order to get their tent ready for the official opening.
"Then it's my chance to chill," says Raelene, referring to the nine days of camping at the fair.
Reported to be the nation's only remaining tenting fair, the Centre County Grange Fair's modest roots go back to 1894, initially starting as a one-day picnic.
Over the years it has grown into one of Pennsylvania's most popular county fairs. With both permanent family tent sites as well as RV and camper parking, the fair spikes Centre Hall's population by thousands temporarily every August, with total attendance during the event estimated to be around 200,000 people when daily visitors are included.
Bob White, of Centre Hall, is another tenter at the fair, with his family's tent site sitting in what some long-time fair goers might still consider the "new section" of the fair closer to Route 45, despite tents and commercial buildings being a fixture in the section for decades.
White's tent site rests in a location where a grass runway once ran east to west, and Cessna Skyhawk airplanes would provide some of the more adventurous fair goers with a bird's eye view of the grounds.
White says that he looks forward to the food at the fair and that friends and coworkers will stop by the tent throughout the week.
As far as the sometimes-laborious move-in process is concerned, White says that at first he might "lack ambition," but stated that "then you get started and the spirit hits you."
George Witherite is the RV Secretary for the Grange Fair, making him and his staff of around 55 personnel responsible for situating the approximately 1,500 RVs and trailers that will be parked in the various lots for this year's fair.
"It's going pretty good with very few problems," says Witherite, referring to this year's multi-day undertaking of checking-in and parking the RVs and trailers.
Witherite credited his staff for the smooth operation adding, "they make my job easy."
Aside from his official duties with the fair, Witherite is a camper himself and looks forward to enjoying the fair outside of his work hours.
In addition to the RVs and trailers and approximately 1,000 tent sites, the Grange Fair also hosts roughly 125 various vendors and concession stands.
Todd Fisher runs Fisher's Stand, and unlike most food stands which won't be open until the official start of the fair, Fisher's is among a handful of stands that opened early during the move-in process.
"We're here to take care of everybody," says Fisher, referring to the campers and fair staff which will patronize his stand during move-in week.
Fisher, who along with his wife, Temmy, and their family, has had the food stand at the fair for about 33 years. The Fishers also own Fisher's Market in Milesburg which remains in operation during the fair.
"It's like a big reunion," says Fisher, referring to the fair and the move-in week, adding that he sees the same faces year after year.
The Centre County Grange Fair runs from Friday, Aug. 21, through Saturday, Aug. 29.
In addition to food, games, free concerts, rides and livestock events, the fair also offers numerous commercial and non-profit displays, tractor pulls, equine events and much more.
For more information on this year's Grange Fair, visit www.grangefair.com.
There is also a Centre County Grange Fair app that provides a schedule of events, a list of vendors by category and map of the grounds.