Fun-filled fair under way in Cobleskill

For 147 years, the Schoharie County Sunshine Fair has been a beloved summer event in the region.

The fair opened its gates Saturday, and the grounds are expected to be filled with hundreds of people looking to eat traditional festival food, watch derby races and enjoy the petting zoo. The fair will run for one week, until Saturday, Aug. 3, and is held at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.

“My family has been a part of the fair for at least a hundred years,” said Susan Harker, Schoharie County Sunshine Fair ambassador. “We live in such a fast-paced environment — it is like getting back to your down-home roots.”

At a glance

• Sunshine Fair tickets can be purchased at the fairgrounds now or online at www.sunshinefair.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the fairgrounds during the fair.

• A one-day pass for an adult is $12. Cost for those 62 and older is $10, and children younger than 12 are free.

• Gates open at 9 a.m.; buildings are open from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The main event this year is the Grand Sunshine Fair Parade. The parade was on hiatus for a few years but is back and better than ever, according to Harker. The Fabulous Beekman Boys, winners of “The Amazing Race” and Schoharie County residents, will be the grand marshals of the parade.

The parade will be held on Wednesday, July 31, and will start at the back of the fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m. and continue around the racetrack in front of the grandstand. Antique cars, local fire companies, floats, marching bands and livestock will be in the parade.

Sunshine Fair Appreciation Day will be held the same day as the parade. Admission to the Sunshine Fair will be discounted to $6. A fireworks show will take place that night around 9:30 p.m.

Harker said there will definitely be no shortage of food at the fair. The eclectic selection of food will range from fish fry to candied apples to homemade pies and will be sold from the many vendors that will line the grounds.

“It is about your farm, it is about your family, it is about agriculture,” Harker said. “It is a great family experience.”

Other highlights this year include a petting zoo, pony shows, harness racing, rodeo, monster trucks and demolition derby.

“We have some great entertainment lined up,” Harker said.

Popular local bands Skeeter Creek and Electric City Horns are just some of the featured live music.

“You get to experience the old and the new,” Harker said. “There is just something for everybody.”