The 175th Chenango County Fair will feature 4H exhibitions each day, as well as a livestock auction at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 12 in the Follett Show Ring. (Photo by Dustin Genter of 5th Dimension Photography)

CHENANGO COUNTY — The Chenango County Fair will return to the fairgrounds from August 10 to 14 for its 175th anniversary. This year's theme is "Keeping Summer Traditions Alive for 175 Years."

The annual event will kick off Wednesday, and Agricultural Society President Mary Weidman said the day will begin with a ribbon cutting to open the grounds and celebrate the 175th anniversary.

"It’s our 175th anniversary of our current corporation, so there’s going to be a ribbon cutting at 1 [p.m.]," she said. "M&T Bank is sponsoring a free admission day all day long on Wednesday. There's going to be a parade, the Firemen’s Parade is at 7 [p.m.], and that’s on the fairgrounds in front of the grandstand. At 8 [p.m.] the Beadle Brothers are going to do a concert with Bruce in attendance, and there's going to be fireworks at dusk ... They’re going to be sponsored by Sidney Federal Credit Union and American Fireworks."

Wednesday through Sunday, the grounds will open to the public at 10 a.m.. Rides will open at 2 p.m., and 1 p.m. on Sunday, and admission tickets will be available for purchase until about 9 p.m. each night.

General admission to the Chenango County Fair is $8 for individuals aged 13 years or older, $5 for children aged five to 13, and children under five years old get in free. Additionally, fair memberships are available for $20, which provides entry into all five days of the Chenango County Fair as well as three grandstand events, not including the rodeo.

Advance sale tickets are available now at the Chenango County Fairgrounds main gate office on East Main Street. Advance sale wristbands for carnival rides can also be purchased now for $25 at ColemanBrothersShows.com. Wristbands will be $35 at the fair.

All five days of the Chenango County Fair are filled to the brim with entertainment, activities, carnival rides, and more. According to Weidman, Wednesday and Saturday will be Kids Day at the fair, and Thursday will be Senior Day.

"Wednesday is Kids Day," she said. "There’s special rides and things for the kids and also the Coleman Brothers carnival gives away two drones. They do a drawing and they give away two drones on Wednesday. They also do that on Saturday."

"Thursday is also Senior Day. The Office for the Aging coordinates a senior day," Weidman continued. "They do music and entertainment for seniors at the entertainment tent, and they’re going to be doing some different events for people. They play bingo, and I think BOCES is going to try to do nails for people, and I think they have some different free drawings."

Thursday will also have the Out of Field Tractor Pull at 10 a.m., drawings and displays in the entertainment tent sponsored by M&T Bank, and a beauty pageant for children and teens at 4 p.m. in the entertainment tent.

Country western entertainer Rylee Lum will be putting on a performance at 4 p.m. as well, followed by the Norwich City Band at 6 p.m., and the Empire State Pullers Tractor Pull at 7 p.m. at the grandstand.

A 4H livestock auction will be held at 6 p.m. in Follett Show Ring on Friday, and at 7 p.m. there will be a musical performance by Cassidy Lynn and Rylee Lum at the grandstand. On Saturday, visitors can enjoy watching the Chenango County breakaway roping winners' return to the rodeo at 1 p.m. at the grandstand, as well as a rodeo at 7 p.m.

Saturday will also be packed with musical performances, including the Realtime Dixieland Band at noon, country musician Krystal Lee at 3 p.m., Elvis impersonator Aric McKown at 5 p.m., The Bleach Boys at 7 p.m., and the Three Mad Poets at 8:30 p.m.

Sunday will be closing day for the Chenango County Fair, with performances by Caitlyn May at noon and Critical Path at 3 p.m. The day will also be host to two demolition derbies sponsored by Rentals to Go at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the grandstand.

In addition to the grandstand events, the fair will also feature 4H exhibitions each day and free daily shows.

"We’ve got Chi Chee the Clown; he’s a walking talent. He goes around and he does balloons for kids and dresses up in different kinds of costumes all day long. We’ve got Chris Lantz the extreme sculpting wood carver," said Weidman. "He’s an international and national award-winning sculptor. He’s been all over the world winning prizes. So we’re very fortunate to get him."

"WeeWeeWee Racing Pigs are coming back, and they’re going to be doing three shows a day for us. We’ve got Squawk the Bird Show that’s coming, they’re going to be doing three shows a day," she continued. "We’ve got Tired Iron, they're going to be here with their antique equipment and a blacksmith, and we’ve got the West Hill Ranch Gypsy Vanners. West Hill Ranch is from Chenango County, they’re going to bring some of their horses."

DCMO BOCES will also be hosting events in the conservation area.

The Chenango County Fair is made possible by several sponsors as well as the hard work and dedication of the nine-member Agricultural Society board and numerous volunteers.

"We’re a not for profit organization and we’re a nine-member board, and everybody is a volunteer. We have three part-time employees and then get some people that come back and work just for the fair who are here only for the fair week, and our gate people up at the main gate," said Weidman.

"We’re hopeful that everybody comes and has a good time. There’s going to be lots of good food and hopefully the weather holds out and it stays nice and cool for us," she added. "We're looking forward to having a busy five-day fair, and hope that people come and enjoy and celebrate our 175th."

More information on the Chenango County Fair can be found at ChenangoFair.com or on the Chenango County Fair Facebook page.