The 167th annual Fonda Fair will kick off next week with the return of some local favorites and a few new attractions.
The fair, held this year from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, takes place on 60 acres of fenced property off South Bridge Street in Fonda.
“I’ve been involved with the fair over 40 years,” General Manager Jake Sammons said. “A lot of changes since then. If you haven’t been to our fair in the last five years, you haven’t been here. We’ve just changed so much.”
New this year is the return of racing pigs and a petting zoo, Sammons said. There will also be free video games sponsored by Reality Check, a group that promotes efforts to prevent teen smoking.
A local artist, Mr. Scribbles, will be at the fair daily for young children. Sammons said that the artist has kids scribble lines on a poster board and then uses the lines the children draw to create a picture for the kids to take home.
The fair will also feature several demolition derbies, including the return of the school bus demolition derby.
“The younger generation is all about wheels and motors and they like to have it destroyed,” Sammons said. “[Someone] can go on the demolition derby and really destroy his car if he wants to. You can’t do that on the road.”
The first demolition derby is scheduled for opening day, Tuesday, at 7 p.m. for large cars.
Admission to the fair is $8 Tuesday through Thursday and Monday, and $10 Friday through Sunday. Admission is $2 for children ages 6 to 11 and free for kids under 6. Parking is $2.
A building that was badly damaged in the 2006 flood will be reopened for the first time this year, Sammons said. The building houses model trains surrounded by a small-scale model village with moving parts.
Sammons said organizers had to clean and repair the trains and village as well as the interior of the building before it could be used again.
“It’s the third or fourth oldest building on the fairgrounds,” he added.
Wednesday’s activities include a horse and pony show at 8 a.m., a beef and swine show at 4 p.m. and a tractor and truck pull at 7 p.m.
Country music singer Trent Tomlinson will perform at the fair at 8 p.m. Friday. Fireworks are scheduled for Sunday at dusk.
For a full schedule of fair activities, visit www.fondafair.net. For information, call 853-3313.
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